


A Week in Boston

by blacktithe



Category: Chris Evans - Fandom, Marvel
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-27 02:56:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14416167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blacktithe/pseuds/blacktithe
Summary: It was your first vacation in years. One week all by yourself in the big city of Boston. No rules. No expectations. Just a list of places to go and things you wanted to see. That all changed when you run into a certain blue-eyed Boston boy who turned your world upside down. Is it really possible to fall in love with someone in just one week? Or is that kind of love just a fairytale?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my dear friend Kari for serving as editor to this series.

Y/N ran her fingers through her hair and groaned. Why did everything have to wait until the day before her vacation to explode? In all her time at Central, she couldn’t remember seeing a day that was quite as hectic as this. Phones were ringing off the hook. Every time she turned around, someone was sticking their head in the door to talk to her about something, and half the data files she had been working on had somehow reformatted itself. So she couldn’t run the analytics reports she needed until it was fixed. In short, it was the day from hell.

“Y/N?”

She looked up from her computer to see Hailey, her second in command for data processing, poking her head through the office door.

Like most offices in the building, the walls and doorways were made entirely of glass with tasteful blinds that could be closed in the event that privacy was needed. The board of directors had decided to go with an ultra modern look when they put in the new building a few years ago, all stainless steel with white walls and large banks of windows everywhere you looked. The entire building was integrated with enough smart technology that you could find the electrical output of a single light-bulb with a few simple keystrokes. It was the type of facility you’d expect to see at a Fortune 500 company. Not a local utility.

Y/N forced a smile on her tired face. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to see how you were doing.” Hailey shut the door behind her and moved to take a seat across the desk from Y/N. “Last day and all that.”

She shook her head playfully. “Why is everyone acting like this is such a big deal?”

“Because it is!” Haley insisted. “You never take vacations.”

It was true. In all of her adult life, Y/N had never taken a vacation. There had always been something else more important to worry about. First it had been school. Then getting out of debt, and when her little sister, Rachel, had decided to attend the university just down the road in Stillwater, it had been about making sure she was there if she needed anything. She always found some sort of excuse to put off traveling for a while longer, but now she was out of excuses. Rachel was graduating in a few months, and there was nothing left to hold her back but her own fear and anxiety.

She was excited by the prospect of taking a vacation. Y/N had always heard how beautiful New England was in the fall, and Boston was somewhere she’d always wanted to see. Her great grandmother had been born there. Y/N had grown up hearing her tell stories about the city that had always made her want to experience it for herself.

“Well I do now,” Y/N countered. She straighten a small stack of papers on her desk before dropping them into the filing cabinet behind her. “Think you can manage without me for a week?”

Y/N had only been teasing, but she instantly regretting saying it the moment she turned back around to look at Haley. She wasn’t sure if she was upset that she was going to be on her own for a week or pissed off because she had joked about her not being able to handle it. Her nose was wrinkled in discussed, and with the way her eyes widened, Y/N knew she was going to have to come up with something to put her at ease.

“It’s going to be weird,” she said. “This department has never run without you before. I mean, you are like the go to girl for any and all questions.”

Y/N shook her head and laughed. “You guys will be fine. You know more than you think you do trust me.” Hailey didn’t look like she believed her. “How about I make you guys a spreadsheet with who to call for different kinds of questions? That way you’ll know you have something to fall back on if you get stuck.”

The tension fell off of Hailey’s shoulders. “That would be awesome. Thank you.”

Y/N nodded before turning to her computer to get started on the spreadsheet.

“So,” Hailey drawled, “where are you going?”

“Boston,” Y/N answered without looking away from her screen.

Hailey wrinkled her nose. “Why would you want to go to Boston? It’s your first vacation in God only knows how long. Why aren’t you going to the beach or something?”

It was the same reaction Y/N had received from everyone else when she told them about her vacation plans. Actually, her boss had nearly spit his coffee all over his desk when she walked in to request time off for a vacation at all, but other than that, it had all been the same.

“I hear New England is pretty this time of year,” she said with a shrug. She didn’t see the point of trying to explain her destination choice to yet another individual. They never understood it anyway.

Hailey waived a dismissive hand and rose to her feet. “Whatever. Anyway, have a good time.” She paused at the doorway and turned back towards Y/N. “Don’t do anything I would.”

The suggestive eyebrow waggle and accompanying cheeky grin made Y/N laugh wholeheartedly. She shook her head at Hailey’s antics before promising to be on her best behavior and reassuring her that she would give her all the details of her visit once she was home.

* * *

 

Y/N put the last piece of clothing into her suitcase and carefully shut the lid.

“Well Rufus,” she said, reaching over to scratch the mut behind the ears, “I think we are all set.”

The dog’s tail thudded happily against the bed. Y/N had rescued him from a local animal shelter a few years ago at her little sister’s insistence. She’d kept telling her that she needed a pet to get her out of the house more often. Y/N had tried to take home a cat, but Rachel had put a stop to it saying it would defeat the purpose.

“You’re getting a dog so you will have to go outside,” she told her. “A cat’s just going to curl up on your lap and refuse to get up so you can go take a leak. At least with a dog you’ll have to take it for a walk or something.”

Y/N had tried to resist at first, but as soon as she laid eyes on the honey colored pup, she knew she was a goner.

“Ready to go outside?” she asked him.

Rufus hopped up and sprinted out the bedroom door the instant Y/N said the word outside. Y/N grabbed her suitcase and carried it out into the hallway, placing it by the door and grabbed the leash from it’s hook. Rufus was dancing around so much that she wondered if she’d ever get the leash attached to his collar, but he eventually stood still long enough for her to attach the hook before heading out the door.

The last rays of golden light were still dancing along the horizon as she locked the door behind her. A warm breeze blew gently through the trees. It was still rather warm for this time of year. The only thing that really let anyone know that it was mid fall was the rapidly dwindling daylight hours.

Rufus started barking and tugged on the end of his leash, nearly pulling Y/N off her feet. Y/N looked in the direction he was pulling to see Mrs. Lapinski putting a small plate of tuna down on the porch for her cat.

“Rufus! Stop that!” Y/N chided him.

“Oh he’s fine,” the little old woman said, taking a hold of the handrail and carefully making her way down the steps towards her mailbox. “He ain’t gonna scare that cat. He doesn’t scare anybody. Do ya?”

Rufus wagged his tail and grinned up at Mrs. Lapinski as she patted him on the head.

“Yeah,” Y/N agreed. “He’s pretty terrifying isn’t he?”

The two women shared a pleasant nod before parting ways. Y/N took Rufus around the block a few times before returning home and a cup full of kibble in his bowl. She gave him some fresh water, and pulled the last of her leftovers from the fridge to heat up for dinner. The last thing she wanted to do was dirty up a bunch of dishes before going out of town. Lord knows she was probably going to come home to enough mess after leaving Rachel alone in her house for a week as it was.

* * *

 

“And be sure you take him for a walk at least two times a day,” Y/N said.

She’d been in a tizzy ever since she got up that morning. All of the nerves she hadn’t been feeling leading up to the trip had hit her full force the instant she’d rolled out of bed, and she hadn’t stopped fretting over things ever since.

Rachel rolled her eyes from the driver’s seat of Y/N’s car.

“Y/N relax,” she told her. “I got this. I have been living on my own for a while now ya know?”

Y/N huffed a sigh. She knew Rachel was right. There was no reason to think that she couldn’t handle taking care of the house and Rufus on her own. She’d show that she was at least a semi-responsible adult, but Y/N still couldn’t help but worry. All she could think about was the plethora of things that could go wrong during the course of her trip. It had been ages since she’d traveled anywhere along. Come to think of it, the last time she’d traveled anywhere alone had been when she left for college. Every other trip she’d been on since thing had been for work, and there had always at least been someone waiting for her on the other side. Not this time. This time it was just her and her carefully crafted itinerary.

They pulled into the line of cars waiting to let passengers out at the gate and waited

“Just promise me you’ll call me if anything happens.”

Rachel tossed her head back and groaned. “Nothing is going to happen. Besides, we both know your anal retentive ass is going to call and check up on me anyway. You’ve got to loosen up, Y/N. God! When was the last time you got laid?”

Y/N’s mouth fell open in shock. “Rach!”

Her little sister started laughing. “I’m just saying, maybe if you got some once in a while you might not have a giant stick up your butt all the time.” Y/N gaped at her. “What? It couldn’t hurt.”

“I am not having this conversation with you,” Y/N said as she turned her attention out the window.

They pulled up to the curb, and Y/N got out of the car.

“Be sure to let me know when you get there,” Rachel called to her from the car.

Y/N turned back to the now open car window and leaned inside. “I will. And no parties while I’m gone.”

Rachel shook her head and laughed. “Whatever. Have a safe trip.”

Y/N waived to her little sister before grabbing her bag and heading into the airport to start her adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

“I’m never flying again,” Y/N groaned as she flopped into the back seat of the cab.

It had to of been one of the worst experiences of her life. Everything from the moment she’d stepped into the airport to the time she arrived at Logan International had been a disaster. It had all started at the ticket counter when she went to check her bag. The deal she had originally found for the flight said that there was no fee for checking a bag. Come to find out, that apparently only applied to first class passengers. Stupid fine print.

Things had continued to disintegrate at the security checkpoint when she’d somehow managed to be randomly selected for a bag check. Y/N had nearly flushed crimson when they pulled out the extra set of clothing she’d packed encase her luggage was lost. Having her underwear on display for all the world to see was not something she’d put on her agenda, and to top it all off, the person behind her kicked her seat for the majority of the flight.

“198 West Brookline Street,” she told the cabby.

Y/N leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. All she could think about was getting to the B&B, going up to her room, and passing out for at least an hour.

The cabby pulled up to the curb and helped Y/N retrieve her bags from the trunk. She smiled and thanked him before paying him and turning towards her home for the next week. Clarendon Square was a bed and breakfast located in the heart of Boston’s historic district with the price tag to match. Y/N had fretted over whether or not to stay at the B&B as opposed to a cheaper motel in another part of the city for months before finally deciding to let loose and pamper herself for once. She’d saved for this vacation for years, and she was going to enjoy it.

The building itself was a beautiful red brick townhome with a light colored wooden door. Nobody would ever know it was anything other than a family home if it wasn’t for the small placard on the front door. It is what she always imagined her great grandmother’s house would have looked like back in the day, minus a few electric lights of course. A grin spread across her face as she made her way up the stairs. The sight that greeted her when she walked in was even more beautiful than the photos online had lead her to believe it would be.

There was a cozy looking reading room off to her left with large cushy armchairs on either side of an elegant white fireplace. A baby grand sat just outside the entry, and a narrow staircase lead up to the second floor to her right with a similar set leading down to what she assumed was the basement.

An older woman with an armful of towels was making her way down the staircase as Y/N carefully shut the door behind her. The sound must have startled her. She jumped, tossing towels this way and that.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Y/N said, darting forward to help her. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She bent to pick up the first towel as another woman came rounded the corner.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

Y/N looked up to see a woman that looked to be in her mid-forties studying her. She straightened up and held out her hand.

“I’m Y/N Y/L/N. I’m here to check in.”

“I’m Melissa, the innkeeper.” She took Y/N’s hand, giving it a firm shake before turning her attention to the older woman. “You okay Ma?”

Now that she’d heard it, the similarities between the two women were obvious. They had the same dainty nose and kind green eyes.

“I’m alright,” the older woman said. “Just startled is all. You go help this lady and let me do this.”

“Are you sure?” Melissa asked. Her mother waived her off. “She’s impossible. We have housekeepers, but she still insists on doing some of the work herself.”

She rolled her eyes and chuckled playful before gesturing towards the small reception desk in the next room. Melissa stepped behind the desk and started typing in Y/N’s information.

The day started slipping from bad to worse when Melissa informed her that her room had been double booked. The only room they had left was the Luxury Suite. The price difference between the two rooms was nearly $200 a night. Y/N had planned wiggle room in her budget on the off chance that something came up, but it wouldn’t be enough to cover that.

She started weighing her options. She could easily go to a motel in another part of the city and stay for far less than she had originally planned, or she could drop half of her travel plans and stay in the place she had set her heart on months ago.

Y/N looked around the room, studying the elegant but cozy fixtures. She wanted to stay there. She had since the moment she’d seen the website. She’d dreamed about the first rays of morning sun coming in her window each morning to wake her before she joined the rest of the guests downstairs for breakfast. There were so many beautiful things to see and explore nearby. It was as close to staying in her great grandmother’s family home as she would ever get. She just didn’t know if it was an option anymore.

“I can offer it to you for the price of the Deluxe Queen,” Melissa offered. “I know it’s still a higher price, but it really is a bargain for all the amenities the suite offers.”

Y/N thought for a moment. “Okay,” she said, her voice a bit less joyful than before. “I’ll take it.”

Melissa quickly entered the new reservation and proceeded to escort Y/N up to her suite, all the while telling her about the exciting amenities it offered, but Y/N couldn’t bring herself to get excited. She was too busy running through all of the things on her checklist she was going to have to miss now that she was paying more for her room. At least it includes a meal.

They paused at the top of the stairs. Melissa quickly unlocked the door and handed Y/N the key.

“Enjoy your stay.”

Y/N nodded before walking solemnly past her. The entire floor had been converted into a single suite. The rich mahogany accents and cream colored walls spoke of the elegance and refined taste the pricetag brought with it, but as beautiful as it was, Y/N couldn’t bring herself to care. Her dream vacation was quickly turning into a nightmare. She didn’t even bother to take off her shoes before throwing herself onto the bed, shoving a pillow over your face, and scream out her frustrations.

* * *

 

Coming home to Boston was something Chris always looked forward to. It didn’t matter what else was going on in his life, the second he stepped foot in his home town, he was just a regular guy again. Sure he still ran into the occasional fan that wanted an autograph, but it was nothing like it was in LA. Everybody expected to see an actor in LA, but in Boston, well, lets just say that the majority of the people there that recognized him went looking for him.

The original plan had been to spend his first night back at home, relaxing on the couch and just enjoying being away from the spotlight for a while. His brother, Scott, had other plans. He’d gotten ahold of a bunch of Chris’ old friends, and the second they learned he was in town, they all demanded that they get together for a beer. That was how Chris found himself in McNellie’s Pub that night, laughing at the same old stories they had all heard a thousand times.

“Dude,” Chris’ friend Mike laughed, “you were so wasted.”

Chris sat his pint glass on the table and pointed at Mike. “You were right there with me pal.”

Mike nodded in agreement before changing the topic. Chris shook his head at his friend’s antics. He loved the guy, but sometimes he just didn’t know when to quit. He lifted his beer to his lips and looked out across the crowded pub. It was a good crowd. Most of the people seemed to be there for the band that was setting up in the corner. He wondered when they’d started having live music and decided he was going to have to get out more if he didn’t even know that his favorite pub had made a change to their schedule.

His eyes landed on a woman sitting by herself at a table near the back corner of the room. Her y/h/c hair was pulled back into a ponytail, giving him a clear view of he face. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Scott noticed his brother’s awestruck expression and followed his line of site until he spotted what, or should he say who, suddenly had his brother so entranced. “She’s pretty,” he said, leaning in a bit closer so that only Chris could hear him.

Chris quickly looked away, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. He tried to play it off like he had been practically drooling at the sight of her. He frowned slightly and shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn’t know what Scott was getting at.

“Yeah. I guess,” he said, making it a point not to look in her direction.

“You’re so full of shit.”

Chris turned his head sharply in Scott’s direction and raised an eyebrows at him.

“We already knew that,” Mike joined it. “But why are you calling him on it this time?”

Scott gestured casually to the woman in the corner. “Dumbass is trying to pretend he wasn’t checking her out.”

“Because I wasn’t,” Chris defended.

“So you weren’t looking at her like this?”

Scott put a mocking dreamy expression on his face, leaning his head on his hand for dramatic effect. The rest of the table broke into riotous laughter. Chris could feel his cheeks heating up and looked down, a grin pulling at the corner of his lips. He thought about the number of times he’d done the exact same thing to his brother and friends. Why, when Mike had first met his wife a few years ago, Chris had teased him miraculously about the fact that he refused to talk about anything else on the trip to Glendale to watch the Pats play in the Superbowl.

“Bet you $20 bucks he’s too chicken to go say hi to her,” Scott challenged.

Chris glared at his brother.  _Not helping bro._

“I’ll take that bet.” Mike reached across the table to shake Scott’s hand. “Well Captain,” he said in a mocking tone, “you gunna make me a winner or what?”

Chris shook his head and gave an awkward laugh. Leave it to those two to find a way to make him get off his ass and do something. No matter what he did at this point, they were going to be giving him hell. Chris downed the rest of his beer and slowly stood from the table. _I can’t believe I’m doing this._

“I’ll be right back,” he said, throwing his table a wink.

He could hear his friends hooting and hollering at him to go get her.  _Assholes_. He took maybe four steps towards her table before zigzagging his way to the bar. He leaned against the bartop and gestured to the bartender. The older man placed a cocktail in front of a woman sitting at the other side of the bar and nodded at Chris in acknowledgment before making his way over.

Chris gestured to the woman in the corner. “What is she drinking?”

The bartender quickly answered his question. Chris ordered one before getting another beer for himself. Butterflies started forming in his stomach while he waited for the drinks to arrive. He ran the fingers of his right hand back and forth across his lips, trying to think of a good opening line. Despite his leading man status, Chris was about as smooth as gravel when it came to women. He always got tongue tied when there was a pretty girl around, and when he did manage to say something that wasn’t too embarrassing, he always found a way to make himself look an idiot. Luckily for him, he was usually quick enough of his feet to turn it into a joke before they realized his gaffe.

“Here you go.” The bartender sat the drinks down in front of Chris.

“Thanks man.”

Chris grabbed the two glasses and turned to head in the woman’s direction. He kept trying to think of a good opening line. Nothing he thought of seemed good enough. Before he knew it, he found himself standing in front of her table. He was grateful that shehadn’t noticed him yet. She was still looking down at the table, casually munching on a sweet potato fry.

“Hi, I…,” Chris stated to introduce himself, but he never got the chance to finish.

Someone bumped into him from behind and threw him off balance. Everything happen in slow motion. Chris could see the glass starting to tilt forward, the amber liquid gliding towards it’s edge, but he was powerless to stop it.  _No. No! NO!_ In the blink of an eye, he’d spilt both pints of beer all over the woman he’d come to talk to.

She gave a startled cry and leapt to her feet. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Shit,” he hissed. “I’m so sorry. Can I get a towel or something?”

The look of rage she sent his way when she looked up froze him to the spot. He braced for the yelling to start, but she surprised him by closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to regain her composure. She didn’t say anything at first when she opened her eyes. Chris thought he saw a flash of recognition move across her face, but it quickly disappeared.

“Please,” she said, wiping her hands uselessly on her soaked shirt.

Chris nodded before darting towards the bar. He could hear the guys at his table laughing hysterically at him. He cut his eyes over to them with a scathing look that quickly silenced the table. He had a good sense of humor. Most days he would have been laughing right along with them, but there was nothing about this situation that he found funny.  _Nice job asshole._

“Here man. Take this,” the bartender said, handing Chris one of the pub shirts along with the towel. “She’s gunna need it.”

“Thanks.”

Chris threw a 20 down on the bar and headed back towards the table. A waiter was clearing the now ruined burger and fries away while the woman stood there looking utterly embarrassed.

“I am so sorry,” he said, handing her the t-shirt and towel. “I didn’t mean t…” He started racking his brain for something to say that would make the situation better, but he couldn’t come up with anything.

“It’s okay,” she quickly cut him off, clearly frustrated. “Just another crappy moment in my epicly bad day.”

“Let me buy you another dinner,” he offered, desperate to make it up to her.

She shook her head and started trying to dry herself off. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I know. I just, please? I feel awful. Please, let me at least try to make it up to you.”

She sighed, clearly giving up on saving her current outfit. “Okay yeah. I’ll, uh,” she motioned towards the restroom with her thumb. “I’ll just go change.”

Chris watched her walk away, his lips pressed into a frown. He asked the waiter to bring her another burger along with some chips and queso. The waiter offered to move them over to another table that had opened up, and Chris agreed. He thanked the man for his help and picked up the few unruined things the woman had left behind and carried them to the new table.

* * *

 

 _This day just keeps getting better_. She threw the bathroom door open and stormed into a stall to change into the shirt the guy had brought her. It had taken everything she had not to unload on him when he’d spilled that glass of beer.

Putting on the new shirt, she looked at the old one in your hand before deciding to just throw it away.  _Not like I’m going to be able to wash it anyway_. She cleaned up as best she could before walking out of the bathroom and heading back to her table. She was just a few feet away when she realized her purse was gone.  _Shit_. Y/N started looking around the floor, thinking maybe she had just kicked it or gone to the wrong table, but it was nowhere insight.

“Hey. Over here.” She looked up to see the man who had given her the shirt waving her over to the next table. She hesitated until he held up her bag. “They moved you over here so they could clean everything up. I’m sorry again. I didn’t mean to do that. I swear.”

She almost forgot to speak when she moved closer. Y/N had thought he looked familiar earlier, but now that she was really looking at him, she was sure she would have remembered meeting someone that gorgeous. He was well built with short, light brown hair and a well groomed beard, but that wasn’t what stood out the most. What really got her attention was his eyes. They were this gentle sea blue that drew her in. There was still something familiar about him, but she pushed it aside.

He pulled a chair out for her and gestured for her to take a seat. “They are making you a new burger. I told them to bring you chips and queso too, and you can get a desert or something if you want. I told them to put it all on my tab.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Y/N said, slowly lowering herself into the seat.

“It’s the least I can do.” He pushed the chair in for handed Y/N her bag. “I think the strap got the worst of it. The rest seems okay.”

Y/N looked at the bag in wonder. She couldn’t fathom why a complete stranger would be that nice to her.

A waiter appeared with the chips and queso, promising that the rest of her food would be out soon.

“Sorry again,” the man said, acting as if he was going to leave.

“Wait,” she called after him. He quickly turned back, and Y/N could feel herself flush. “Can, I, uh, can I at least get your name so I can thank you properly?”

An easy smile formed on his handsome face. He took a step towards the table and extended his hand.

“I’m Chris.”

She reached up and shook his hand. “Y/N.”

“Pleased to meet you. Do you uh,”  _Jesus how do I do this?_ “Do you want to join me? Since you’re paying for it and all.”

It sounded lame. She knew it, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.  _Smooth Y/N_.

His smile grew. “Sure.”

Chris sat down in the chair opposite her. Y/N knew you should say something, but she couldn’t think of anything. Thankfully Chris made things easy.

“So,” Chris asked after a few minutes, “what brings you here? I’m pretty sure your plan wasn’t getting bathed in beer.”

She laughed. “I, uh, I’m on vacation actually.”

Chris’ eyes lit up. “Really? What made you decide to come to Boston?

Y/N only paused for a moment before telling him about her great grandmother and all the stories she used to tell about growing up in Boston. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something about his easy smile and soft laugh put her at ease. He didn’t look at her like she was crazy or question her decision. He just listened. He nodded and smiled gently, laughing at a few of the stories her great grandmother had passed down to her before she passed.

“How about I show you around?” he offered. “I could probably find some of those places for you, take you to all the spots tourist never know about.”

The offer caught her by surprise. Sure she was having fun chatting with him, but letting him take her around the city seemed a bit much.

“No that’s alright,” she said. “I’ve got my trip all set.”

Y/N showed him a couple brochures she’d grabbed from the bed and breakfast before heading out. The sudden rise in the boarding costs had forced her to come up with a few alternative plans encase a few of the items on her agenda ended up being outside her budget.

“Well, encase you change your mind.”  He picked up the pen the waiter had left behind and quickly scribbled something onto a napkin and passed it to her.

She looked down, eyes going wide with shock. It was his number. This incredibly attractive, funny man had just given her his number.

“Thanks.” Y/N tucked it into her bag and rose to her feet. “I should get going.”

He quickly stood and walked her out to the curb, hailing a cab for her along the way. He opened the door for her with a smile. She froze when she saw him open the front door. As charming as he had been, the thought that he was going to learn where she was staying was off putting. That unease quickly turned to shock when she watched him hand the cabby a stack of bills before exiting the car.

“I can’t let you do that,” she said, trying to push his hand away.

“It’s alright. Consider it a thank you for letting me sit with you.”

He sent her another charming smile, and she blushed.

“Have a great night, Y/N.”

“Thanks. You too, Chris.”

He shut the door and waived as the cab drove away.

* * *

 

The smile didn’t leave Chris’ face as he walked back inside. Most of his buddies had already left, but a few had stayed behind to see how his impromptu date had gone.

“So?” Mike asked. “Did you get her number or what?”

Chris chuckled and shook his head. “Nah. Gave her mine though.”

“That’s pretty ballsy don’t you think?” Scott asked, a look of concern on his face. “What if she puts it up online or something.”

Chris hadn’t considered that. He had just been thinking about seeing her again. The possible fallout had never even crossed his mind. He mulled it over before shaking his head. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with Y/N, but he could tell that she wasn’t the type to do something like that.

“You gonna see her again?” another member of his party asked.

“We’ll see.” Chris shrugged. “I’m headed out. I’ll see you guys later.”

A chorus of “see ya”s followed him out the door.

All the way home, Chris found himself thinking about Y/N and the time you had spent together. It was without a doubt one of the best nights he’d had in a long time.

* * *

The sheets were soft and warm as Y/N snuggled down into them. Thoughts of her unexpected dinner guest kept playing over and over again in her mind. The feeling that she’d seen him somewhere before pestered her throughout the evening, but she’d never been able to place him.

She was just starting to drift off when another image dance across her mind’s eye. It was of a man in a dark blue suit with a star emblazoned on its chest. There was a helmet on his head, and a set of kind, sea blue eyes gazing back at her from underneath it’s rim.

She shot up in bed with a gasp.

“Holy shit!” _I just had dinner with Captain America!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.


	3. Chapter 3

Sleep had eluded Y/N the rest of the night. She spent most of the night just lying in bed, staring at the ceiling reliving her dinner with Chris. She couldn’t get the warm look in his eyes or the sound of his laugh out of her mind. He’d been charming and funny, making her laugh at all sorts of ridiculous jokes that she probably only found funny because he was laughing before he even finished them. The sun eventually started coming in the windows, and Y/N rolled onto her side to reach for her phone on the bedside table. The display showed both the local time and what time it was back home. Knowing it would be far to early to check in on her sister, Y/N decided to get up and actually unpack.

Her mind had been in such a whirl when she arrived the day before that she hadn’t bothered to pull anything but a toothbrush out of her suitcase. She drug her bag over to the suite’s dressing room so that she could unpack. At least she thought it was a dressing room. There was an elegant leather bench in the middle, and beautiful cream colored curtains stood in place of closet doors where she hung her clothes.

The far side opened into the bathroom. The amount of white was nearly blinding when the sun came in through the window, even so, it was beautiful. A porcelain clawfoot tub that was big enough for two stood in the middle of the room. The shower had what looked like a bamboo door, and the basin sink sat on smooth granite counters.  _No wonder they charge so much for this room._

Y/N checked her phone again once she was done unpacking. It was 7:30 in the morning back home. If she wasn’t mistaken, Rachel had a class at 9, so she should be up by now. She scrolled through her favorite contacts and dialed her sister’s number. It rang several times before her sleepy voice sounded through the phone.

“Hello?”

“Are you still in bed?” Y/N asked.

“I like to sleep in. So sew me. What’s up?”

They talked for a few minutes about Y/N’s flight, and Rachel filled her in on how Rufus had handled his first night away from her since she’d brought him home. It wasn’t until Y/N mentioned her surprise encounter at dinner that Rachel showed any signs of life.

“You have got to be kidding me?!” she screeched.

Y/N jerked the phone away from her ear.  _Is she trying to make me deaf?_

Rachel went on. “How the hell did you not know it was him? I made you watch those movies like a thousand times. Is he even hotter in person? I bet he’s even hotter in person. Did he have the beard? Could you see the…?”

“Rachel!” The younger woman fell silent. “Breathe.” Y/N waited for the sound of her sister’s exhale before continuing. “Better now?”

“Yeah, but seriously Y/N, how did you not know it was him?”

Y/N shrugged. “I don’t know. I just didn’t. Can you honestly tell me that would be the first thing to run through your mind after somebody spilt beer all over you?”

“No,” Rachel drawled. “I still would have figured it out though.”

Y/N rolled her eyes and shook her head at her younger sister. She’d been obsessed with Marvel and Chris Evans ever since Y/N took her to see the first Captain America movie for her birthday. She’d made her watch them over and over again on DVD to the point that Y/N had eventually had to put a moratorium on them just to maintain her sanity.

“Okay,” Y/N conceded, “maybe I should have recognized him.”

She regretted saying it almost as soon as the words left her mouth.

“Ya think?”

Yep. Rachel was going to hold this over her head for years.

Y/N put her phone on speaker and continued to chat with her sister while she finished getting ready. She reached into her bag from the night before to retrieve her lip balm and felt something light and textured sitting beside it. She closed her fingers around it and pulled her hand out to see that she was holding a napkin with Chris’ name and number written on it.

She blanched. She’d completely forgotten that she’d thrown the napkin in her purse before leaving the pub.

“Y/N? You still there?”

“Y-yeah,” she said, breaking out of her stunned silence. “I’m here.”

“What’s wrong? You got quite.”

She stared at the napkin and debated whether or not to say anything, but ultimately she knew her sister would needle her until she caved.

“I, uh…”

“You what?” Rachel asked, her voice full of concern.

“I just found the napkin he wrote his number on.”

“OH MY GOD!”

“Rachel!”

“Sorry,” her sister replied. “Please tell me you are going to call him.”

The thought of calling Chris both excited and terrified her. Y/N had had a great time talking to him the night before. He’d been sweet and charming. He’d put her at ease and added a rather pleasant ending to what otherwise would have been a disastrous day, but the thought of seeing him again set her on edge.

Chris was the kind of guy she could easily see herself falling for. His sparkling blue eyes and mischievous smile mad her heart flip . He was the kind of man that she’d always imagined would sweep her off of her feet. She didn’t need to worry about that when she was only in town for a few days.

“I don’t think so,” Y/N said.

“Are you fucking crazy?”

Y/N was taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“One of the hottest men on the planet gives you his phone number, and you’re not going to use is. Sounds crazy to me.” Y/N just rolled her eyes and carried on. “Fine. Then can I have it?”

“Goodbye Rachel. Go to class,” Y/N said with a laugh before disconnecting the call.

Y/N grabbed a few things and threw them into the small wristlet she’d gotten for running around town before heading downstairs to join the rest of the borders for breakfast.

* * *

 

The dark bitter liquid eased it’s way down Chris’ throat. He found his eyes wandering towards his phone for what had to be the thousandth time since he got up that morning. He knew it was irrational to expect her to contact him so soon. If he was being honest, he shouldn’t expect to hear from her at all. She’d barely even looked at his number before putting it in her purse.

A soft paw landed on his arm, and Chris looked over to see his faithful companion, Dodger, pleading with him for attention.

“Hey buddy. You wanna go outside?”

The dog’s ears perked up, and a little doggie grin appeared on his face.

Chris laughed. Words could not express the simple joy that having this dog brought into his life. Pushing back from the table, he downed the rest of his coffee and went to collect Dodger’s lease. The little white and tan mutt’s tail went a mile a minute as Chris attached the leash to his collar and headed for the door.

They went for a walk around the neighborhood. Chris made a mental note to himself to take Dodger to the park so they could go for a run later that week. While he loved having an apartment in the heart of Boston, trying to jog through the often hectic streets was not his idea of a good time. He’d much rather go to the park or take Dodger out to his parents place and let him go crazy in the yard.  _Maybe I’ll take him out to Ma’s instead. Let Carly’s kids wear him out._

It wasn’t until he’d returned and refilled Dodger’s water bowl that he looked at the clock and realized he hadn’t checked his phone in nearly in hour. He scrambled to pull it from his pocket, but was met with disappointment when there was still no notifications. Shoving it back in his pocket, Chris decided he needed to get out and do something to keep himself distracted. Problem was, he didn’t want to be somewhere she could reach him if she called.

A little grin spread across his face at the thought of the dinner they’d shared the night before. She’d been so easy to talk to. It had been so long since he’d had a conversation with someone that had no preconceived notions of what he would be like. He’d been able to just relax and be himself. She’d opened up to him too. At least he thought she had when she’d showed him the broc… _I got it!_

Chris’ eyes went wide in excitement. He could go to the museum. She’d told him about wanting to go there the night before.  _Maybe I can run into her again._

He got ready in record time, darting out to his car and driving towards the museum. He knew it was a hairbrained idea. Even if he managed to pick the same day that she planned on going there, the chances of him actually finding her in the crowd would be miniscule. What was he going to do? Just hang out there all day and hope to see her?  _You’re pathetic man. You’ve seen the girl once._

“One hour,” he said as he put the car in park. “We’ll wait for one hour, and if we don’t see her, we’ll leave.”

Chris nodded at his own statement before stepping out of the car and making his way towards the entrance.

He wandered through the galleries for a while, stopping to examine a few different pieces here and there. It had been a while since Chris had been to the museum. Hell, it’d been a while since he’d gone out and done anything in his hometown. It was kind of nice. He found himself getting caught up in exploring the museum, and before he knew it nearly two hours had gone by.

He chuckled to himself. Even if he hadn’t run into Y/N, he was enjoying the outing.  _I’ll just finish looking around._

Chris turned the corner and walked into a gallery of art depicting life in Ancient Greece and froze. There she was, standing in the middle of the gallery was the woman he had been hoping to see.

* * *

 

The old stone building that housed the museum looked like it should have been a house of government instead of a museum. Y/N snapped a quick picture of the statue out front before going to purchase her ticket. She thanked the woman at the desk and graciously accepted the map she was offered. 

Every gallery she entered offered a fresh feast for the eyes that took her breath away. She could enjoy and appreciate all of it. The piece of Grecian pottery she was currently admiring fascinated her. The detail that was etched into it must have taken hours, maybe even days. She was so focused on the case that she didn’t realized anyone else had approached her until she ran into them.

“Umph.”

“Oh!” Y/N cried. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was…”

She’d turned to find her former dinner companion looking down at her with a soft smile on his face.

“I guess I deserved that,” he laughed, his hand still resting on his abdomen where her elbow had struck him.

“Chris?”

“Hey. Nice running into you.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Her face must have shown when it did, because the corner of Chris’ mouth began to twitch with barely contained laughter. She rolled her eyes at his pun, and he threw his head back and laughed, his hand coming up to his chest as he did.

“It wasn’t that funny,” she said, the sassiness in her tone surprising her.

“It made you smile didn’t it?” he asked once he’d pulled himself together.

Y/N crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. “Maybe.”

_What am I doing? Am I flirting with him? I can’t flirt with him. Nothing good will come from flirting with him._

The thought’s flew from her brain when he smiled at her. Her heart gave a flutter, and Y/N seriously thought about kicking herself for not realizing who he was sooner. Now she was afraid to talk to him, like knowing what he did for a living would change him in some way.

“Mind if I walk with you for a bit?” Chris asked.

Y/N hesitated. The better part of her brain told her that she should say no. There was no reason for her to spend anymore time with him. She was a nobody. He’d forget about her as soon as she was gone. But another part of her, the much larger part, wanted to spend more time with him.

“Okay.”

Turning, Chris gestured for her to lead the way.

* * *

The way Y/N’s eyes lit up when she saw a piece of art she particularly liked fascinated Chris. She was like a kid in a candy store at times, turning back to look at him with an excited smile and bouncing on the balls of her feet when she couldn’t contain her joy at seeing the Monet collection. He’d never seen anyone quit so excited before. At least not in a museum anyway. Taking his nephews to Disneyland sure, but never in this kind of setting.

“You really like this stuff don’t you?” he asked as they made their way to the next exhibit.

Y/N shrugged. “I’ve never really had the chance to see much of it. The university in the next town over has a small art gallery where students can display their work. They get a few traveling exhibits in from time to time, but it’s nothing like this.”

They walked side by side into the modern art section, and Chris found himself fighting back a laugh at the perplexed look on Y/N’s face.

“Not a fan?” he asked.

“Not exactly,” she drawled after a brief pause. “I guess I just don’t understand it enough to appreciate it.”

He nodded before leaning in. He spoke in a low voice that only she could hear. “Me either.”

She giggled, and Chris’ heart swelled inside of his chest. Her eyes looked brighter than before when she turned to look at him. He had to remind himself to breath. Take it easy dude. You just met her.

The sound of his stomach rumbling pulled him from his thoughts. He could feel his cheeks beginning to warm with embarrassment until Y/N’s stomach gave a very similar call in answer. They both laughed before Chris gestured to the doorway behind them.

“Want to go grab a bite?” he asked. “There’s this really awesome deli around the corner that I think you’ll like. The pastrami and rye is amazing.”

Chris was afraid he had overstepped his bounds when she didn’t answer right away. She looked down and away from him, one of her arms reaching across her chest to take hold of her elbow. He waited with bated breath until she gave a little nod. Her muttered “okay” was so quite that he wasn’t sure he’d heard it, but the way she smiled up at him when she lifted her eyes from the floor gave him all the answer he needed.

The thought of offering her his arm crossed his mind, but he wasn’t sure how she would take it. So instead he gestured towards the exit with his hand and fought the urge to place his other at the small of her back as he lead her outside towards the deli.

* * *

 

Chris was right. The deli’s rye bread was some of the best she’d ever tasted. She was half tempted to just buy a loaf of bread to take with her, but she thought better of it.

They were seated in the far back corner of the deli. Chris had told her it was so they could talk more easily, but she couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes kept scanning the room from time to time to see if anyone was looking their way. It was something she’d noticed him doing in the museum as well but hadn’t said anything. He was clearly doing his best to stay relaxed and enjoy a conversation with somebody that didn’t know who he was, at least he didn’t think so.

“I have a confession to make,” Y/N said with a sigh, her guilt getting the better of her. “I sort of figured out who you were after I left the bar last night.”

A look of disappointment and fear appeared on Chris’ face before he forced a little smile and looked down at his plate.

“You did huh?”

The dejected tone in his voice made Y/N’s chest ache. She never would have said anything if she thought it was going to upset him.

“Yeah,” she said, looking back down at her plate. “I didn’t tell you sooner because I didn’t want things to we weird. I had a great time talking with you last night, and then when I ran into you at the museum I…” she took a moment to gather her thoughts, “I just wanted to spend a little more time with that guy. He’s fun.”

A shy smile played at the corner of Chris’s lips.

“Well,” he said, placing his napkin on the table, “If we’re confessing, I guess I better make one of my own.”

Y/N’s eyebrows rose.

“I didn’t just run into you at the museum,” he told her. “I went there hoping to see you.”

Now it was Y/N’s turn to be confused.

“How did you know I’d be there?” she asked.

Chris looked down and pulled his lips between his teeth for a moment before letting them slowly release.

“You had a program with you last night,” he told her sheepishly. “I figured that meant you were planning on going. I really wanted to see you again, so I went there today hoping to see you. I guess I got lucky.”

The blush on his cheeks was in stark contrast to the glimmer of excitement Y/N could see in his eyes. She didn’t know what to say. He went looking for me?

“Why?” she finally asked. “Why did you want to see me?”

It was his turn to shrug bashfully. “It’s like you said. I had fun talking to you. It’s been a long time since I’ve just sat down with someone and was able to talk to them without them having some sort of expectation of who I was. I kinda like it.”

“I’m sorry I ruined it for you.”

Chris’ bright smile quickly put her at ease.

“No. No. No. You didn’t ruin anything. I guess now I don’t have to worry about what to do if a fan sees me.” He chuckled.

“Well,” Y/N said, “at least you won’t have to worry about running into my sister anytime soon. Rachel about busted my eardrum when I told her about last night.”

Chris’s eyes slammed shut as he let loose a full body laugh. It was infectious. Y/N was joining him before she knew it, and soon, neither of them could even remember what they were laughing about. They fell back into easy conversation as if nothing had happened. Chris placed a few bills on the table before rising to his feet along with Y/N and heading for the door.

A steady stream of traffic passed back and forth along the street as they exited the building. Y/N signaled to a nearby cab, and it quickly pulled up to the curb.

“Can I see you again tomorrow?” Chris asked, holding the door open for her.

Y/N didn’t know how to answer him. Spending time with him had been wonderful. Their conversation was easy, and his very presence had a way of putting her at ease that she herself couldn’t explain. Still, she found herself hesitating.

“Tell you what,” Chris said. “You have my number. If you’re out and about and decided you want some company, just give me call. How’s that?”

She gave him a weak smile and nodded. “Okay,” she said, knowing full well that she had no intention of using it. Spending another day with Chris sounded amazing, but she didn’t want to get too attached. She was only in Boston for a few days. Nothing good could come from her spending them in his company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos.


	4. Chapter 4

The book made a gentle thudding sound when Y/N tossed it onto the table. She reached her arms up over her head and stretched her taut muscles. It had been far too long since she spent a morning in bed just reading and relaxing. When her internal alarm woke her early for the second day in a row, Y/N had grabbed one of the books she’d brought along with her and settled in for what she only expected to be an hour or so. 4 hours later, and the book was done.

Y/N closed her eyes and took a deep inhale through her nose. This is Heaven.  
The silence of the room was shattered by Y/N’s stomach giving a long, loud rumble. 

“Guess that means it’s time for breakfast,” she said with a chuckle.

Tossing the blankets aside, Y/N skittered into the bathroom and got ready for the day. She took a few minutes to shower and get dressed before grabbing a jacket and making her way downstairs for breakfast. She rounded the corner at the bottom of her stairs and made her way into the dining room.

The smell of fresh pastries filled her nostrils and made her mouth water.

“Morning,” she called.

Mrs. Travinski, the innkeeper’s mother, turned from the buffet and gave her a smile. “Morning dear. Finally decided to get up?”

“Yeah,” Y/N drawled happily. “Am I too late?”

“No. Please. Help yourself.”

Y/N gave her a smile in thanks and grabbed a buttered croissant. She moaned at the delicious taste before taking a seat at the table.

“Wow,” she said. “That’s amazing.”

“Aren’t they wonderful? They’re from this little bakery around the corner. They’ve been supplying our pastries for years.”

Mrs. Travinski went back to clearing things away. Y/N grabbed another croissant off the tray as she passed and blushed at the older woman’s knowing grin. She shrugged. Mrs. Travinski gave a little laugh before carrying the tray into the kitchen. 

Y/N continued to eat in silence. She studied the crown molding and old oak furnishings around the room. They looked like antiques, but not the kind you’d see in a showroom. These were items from a family home. She could make out some of the scuff marks and scratches near the base of the feet where it had been drug along the floor.  There was a nick missing out of one of the legs. She could easily imagine it being caused by a small child-whacking it with a toy as they ran through the house.

“So,” Mrs. Travinski asked, making her way back into the room, “where are you off to today?”

“I thought I’d explore the historic district a little more,” she said. “Just pick a direction and start walking. See what I can find.”

“That sounds nice. Just be careful. There are some rough areas in this part of town.”

Y/N smiled knowingly at her and rose to her feet. “I will. Thanks again for the breakfast.”

“Anytime dear. Have fun.”

Y/N waved to her on her way to the door. She threw on her jacket to ward off the crisp autumn air and made her way out onto the sidewalk. She looked up and down the street, debating with herself which direction she wanted to explore first. She shrugged. _I guess one is as good as the other,_  she thought before turning and heading up the street.

* * *

A sandwich and potatoes might not sound like an impressive meal to some people, but those people had obviously never had his mom’s ham and cheese sandwiches. Chris could smell the melted provolone and homemade honey mustard as she sat the plate down in front of him. It made his mouth water just thinking about how amazing it was going to taste. 

“Thanks, Ma,” he said, giving his mother a smile.

“You’re welcome, sweetie. It’s good to have you home.”

“It feels good to be back.”

Chris had been looking forward to spending the afternoon with his mom ever since he got back. As much as he loved his job, being away from his family made things hard.

“So what’s new with you?” she asked, raising a steaming cup of tea to her lips.  
“The usual.” Chris shrugged. His eyes rolled to the back of his head in pleasure at the first bite of his sandwich. “Damn that’s good,” he said around a mouth full of food.

His mother, Lisa, smiled at him. He took a few more bites of his sandwich before filling her in on some of the latest tales from set. He told her about one of the pranks Sebastian and Mackie had pulled on him during the latest press tour, and she filled him in on the latest happenings within the family. As they talked, Chris’ mind started drifting to Y/N.

He hadn’t exactly been surprised when he hadn’t heard from her that morning. Disappointed sure, but not surprised. She hadn’t seemed all that excited about using his number when they’d parted ways the day before. She hadn’t said anything, but he couldn’t help but notice the way her smile hadn’t quite reached her eyes when she said she would think about calling him.

He wondered if he had done something wrong to put her off of his company. He’d thought they’d had a good time together. She’d laughed at his cheesy jokes and smiled so much he was pretty sure her face hurt.  _Guess I was wrong_.

“What’s on your mind?” 

Chris looked up from where he had been pushing potatoes around with his fork to see his mother studying him.

“Nothing,” he said.

The knowing look on her face let him know she wasn’t buying it. She’d always been able to tell when he was lying to her, probably because she usually expected him to be up to something when he was younger, and nine times out of them she was right. No wonder he’d stopped trying to lie to her when he was 15. 

“Who is she?”

Chris’ head jerked back. “How’d you know it was a girl?”

“Christopher,” she put her mug down, “the corner of your mouth is twitching, and you’ve got a thousand yard stare. Besides, you just told me.”

He threw his head back and laughed. Leave it to his mom to be able to pull something out of him without him even knowing she was doing it.

“Well,” she waved him on, “tell me about her.”

A smile formed on Chris’ face as he told her all about Y/N and the unusual way they’d met. She’d laughed at their awkward first encounter and listened patiently while he told her about engineering their second meeting when he grew tired of waiting for her call.

He shoved a chunk of potato in his mouth and looked away. He really didn’t feel like talking about Y/N right now. It just made him over analyze everything more.

“Don’t worry,” Lisa said. “I’m sure it will all work out somehow.”

He gave a nod of confirmation and went back to finishing his lunch. A rumble of thunder sounded outside. He turned to look out the window to see the sky darkening. I better let Dodger in before it starts raining.

* * *

Another shiver worked its way through Y/N’s body as she struggled to see the street signs through the heavy down poor. She cursed herself for not remembering an umbrella. The sky had started to darken about a half an hour into her journey, but she’d brushed it off. A little rain won’t hurt. The problem was that this wasn’t just a little rain. It was a monsoon.

She ducked into the overhang of a building to get out of the steady stream of water falling from the sky and pulled her sopping wet coat a bit tighter around her. There was no way she was going to make it back in this weather. Not when she could barely see where she was going. The street was practically deserted. So hailing a taxi wasn’t an option either. She pulled her phone out of her bag to order an Uber.

“Crap!”

Dead. She cursed herself for forgetting to put her phone on the charger overnight. A roll of thunder boomed from the sky, making her jump. She brushed a wet strand of hair from her face and tried to keep the rapidly rising panic from overtaking her. Her chest was starting to feel tight, and she couldn’t tell if the shiver running up and down her spine was from fear or the cool air whipping around her. Here she was, lost in a strange city in the middle of a thunderstorm with no way to call for help.

Her head dropped to her chest in defeat. She could feel the tears forming behind her closed eyelids and willed them away.  _Come on Y/N. You’re better than this. Think._  The sound of laughter floated to her ears over the drumming of the rain. She turned and looked in the window she’d been leaning against to see what looked like a little hole in the wall pub. People were sitting around the dimly lit room laughing and playing pool. The dim yellow lighting made her uneasy, but she didn’t see any other options. At least I’ll be out of the rain.

She pulled her jacket a bit tighter around her like a shield and stepped into the dimly lit room. The smell of stale beer and pretzels slammed her in the face the second she was in the door. Several people turned to look at her when the wind unexpectedly slammed the door behind her. She gave them a weak smile and took a seat at the bar.

The man behind it was standing at the other end talking to a few patrons while wiping down the counter. He saw her take a seat and told the other’s he’d be right back.

“What can I get you?” he said, tossing the bar rag over his shoulder.

“S-something warm?” she stuttered. The cool air circulating in the bar making her teeth chatter.

The man gave a laugh. “Yeah sure.”

I shouldn’t be here. It felt like the whole room was watching her. She could feel their beady eyes racking over her form. She shuddered. The bartender returned with her drink. She didn’t even ask him what it was. She just smiled and thanked him before downing half of it in one gulp. Her face puckered at the bitter taste. The bartender snorted and walked away.

Y/N put the mug down and rested her head against her hand. She could still feel a pair of eyes on her and started scanning the room. There was a man watching her from a darkened corner of the room. Something about the way he was looking at her made her skin crawl. I wish there was someone I could call. Her eyes popped open and her spine straightened. Placing her bag on the bartop, she quickly started digging through it. Please let it be here. Please let it be here.   
“Yes!” she exclaimed, pulling the napkin from her bag. She hesitated.

She’d never had any intention of using his number. Despite how comfortable she was around him, calling Chris for help would just open a door that was better left unopened. She didn’t want to lead him on. He was sweet, and there was just something about him that put her at ease. She couldn’t remember the last time she could say that about a man.

Y/N felt a pair of eyes on her and turned to see the greasy looking man still eyeing her from the corner. Doesn’t look like I have a choice.   
She looked around for the bartender and found him once again talking to the patrons at the far side of the bar. “Hey! Can I use your phone?”  
“Ain’t you got a cell lady?” he asked.

“It died. Please? I just need to call my ride.”  _At least I hope he’ll be my ride._  
He eyed her warily before slowly making his way over to the cordless phone resting behind the bar. She thanked him again when he handed it to her before laying the napkin down on the table and shakily dialing the number.  
  


* * *

Watching his niece and nephew play with Dodger never got old.  There had been a bit of an upset when his sister, Carly, had first dropped them off. It had started raining in earnest about a half hour before, and he would have thought his mom had told them ice cream was no longer allowed in the house from the way they had carried on. Then they’d heard their Uncle Chris’ voice from the other room. They’d raced towards him, giving him the biggest bear hugs their small arms could muster. He’d held their attention for about two seconds before Dodger gave an excited bark from his spot on the couch. It had been all over after that.  
Miles was playing tug-o-war with Dodger on the floor. The scrappy pup gave a particularly hard pull on the rope, and Miles went toppling off of his beanbag chair. 

Chris laughed. “I think he’s won this one buddy.”

“Nuh,” Miles said. “We’re not done yet.”

A soft smile formed on Chris’s face as he looked around the room filled with family.  _Nothing like home_.

“Unca Chris?” Chris watched his niece, Stella, walked towards him with a frown on her face. She held her doll out in front of her, body in one hand, head in the other. “Can you fix it?”

“Sure thing. Come here.”

He pulled the adorable little girl into his lap and took the doll from her. Chris carefully started working the head back onto the body. It was surprisingly harder than it looked. How’d she even get this thing off? 

The head finally popped back into place after a minute or two.

“There you go,” he said, presenting the newly fixed toy to Stella.

“Thank you, Unca Chris.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek before hopping down to the floor and going back to the doll bed in the corner while Chris watched on with a smile.

The shrill ringing of his cell phone sounded through the room. Chris pulled the device from his pocket and frowned. The number on his screen was one he’d never seen before.  _Weird_. Everyone that had that particular number was somebody Chris had given it too personally. It was an unlisted number on the national do not call list, so the chances of it being a telemarketer were slim to none.

He shrugged and started to hit ignore before thinking better of it and swiping the green icon on the screen to answer the call.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi. C-chris?” a shaky female voice asked.

Chris’s back went rigid. He may not have known the owner of the voice for long, but he would have recognized her voice anywhere.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry to bother you. Just…” 

Chris could tell she was trying to hold it together, but the slight waver in her voice was undeniable. He thought he heard a slight clicking here and there, like the chattering of teeth, as she spoke. Something was wrong. His pulse.

“What’s wrong?” His voice came out a bit more forcefully than he had intended, and everyone in the room turned to look at him. 

“I, uh, I’m not really sure. I got lost while I was sightseeing, and it started raining, and my phone died, and the only number I had was yours so…”

“Hey. Hey. Hey,” he soothed, effectively stopping her rambling. “It’s alright. Where are you?”

“A bar,” she said weakly. “The sign on the door says Charlie’s Tavern.”

“Okay hold on.” Chris pulled the phone away from his ear and covered the receiver with his hand. “Hey, Ma? Can I use your computer for a second?”

Lisa nodded and handed the laptop sitting on the table beside her to her son. 

Chris quickly opened it and searched for her location. His stomach dropped when he saw the map.  _Shit_. That was not a part of town you wanted to get lost in. His heart started racing. Hardly a week went by without a story on the news about some sort of violent crime happening in that area. The thought of what could happen to her if she was left alone there scared him to death.

“Just sit tight,” he told her, already rising to his feet. “I’ll be right there.” 

The first tingle of panic crawled up his spine as he ended the call. He rubbed a hand down the lower part of his face and turned to his mother with wide eyes. The look on his face must have betrayed just how worried he was because she immediately put her coffee on the table and started moving to stand as well.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked, extending a hand to take the offered laptop and placing it to the side.

Chris licked his lip. “That was Y/N.”

“The woman you were telling me about?”

He nodded. “ She, uh, she was calling me from a bar she went into to get out of the rain. It’s a…”

“Christopher?” Her eyes went wide the instant he told her what part of town she’d wandered into. It was shady at best, and with the sun quickly setting, it was only going to get worse.

“I’m sorry Ma.”

“It’s fine,” she said, waving him off. “Go make sure she’s okay.”

He gave her a quick nod. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Is It okay if I leave Dodger here for a bit?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed towards the door. Dodger started to get up to follow him. “Stay.” Dodger sat back down next to Miles and tilted his head in question. “Good boy.”

Chris all but sprinted to his car. It would take him nearly half an hour to get across town. He just hoped nothing happened to her in the time it would take him to get there.

* * *

The light outside was fading fast.  Y/N’s leg started bouncing on the bottom rung of the barstool. She turned to look out the window and sighed. It had been almost 20 minutes since Chris had told her he was on his way. She had no idea where he was coming from to judge if he was taking a long time or not, but she wished that he would hurry up. Hearing his voice on the other end of the line had put her at ease. She’d nearly cried with relief when he answered. The knots in her stomach had almost dissipated by the time he’d ended the call, but as the minutes ticked by, she could feel them starting to form again.

“Hey,” a distinctly male voice slurred behind her.

Y/N went rigid. She slowly turned to see the man that had been staring at her from the corner earlier leaning against the bar and grinning at her. The way he looked at her set her teeth on edge. His eyes studied her the way a lion studies his next meal. She swallowed against the lump in her throat and tried to smile.  
“H-hello,” she stammered in an attempt to be polite despite her body’s automatic response to recoil.

“Now what is a pretty little thing like you doing all alone at this hour?”

She gulped. Scenes from every crime drama she’d ever seen flashed before her eyes. He’s gonna kill me. Every time a guy comes up to a woman in a bar they find her dead. Please don’t kill me. Please don’t kill me.

He took a step towards her, and Y/N leaned as far away from him as she could without falling off her stool.

“Just waiting for someone. He should be here soon.”

She took care to put special emphasis on the  _he_ , but the man was either didn’t notice or was too drunk to care. He kept moving closer to her. She could smell the cheap beer and cigars on his breath.

“You don’t need to wait,” he said, reaching a hand up brush a strand of hair from her face. Y/N jerked away like he had shocked her. “I’m sure we could…”

“Sorry, I’m late honey.” Y/N nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt two strong hands land on her shoulders. She snapped her head around to see Chris smiling down at her. Her shoulders slumped in relief. “It took forever to find somebody to fix the car. I’m glad you were able to get it out of the rain though. Are you ready to go?”

Y/N jumped off of her stool and threw her arms around Chris, burying her face against the solid wall of his chest. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so happy to see someone. She was so wrapped up the fact that he was there that it took her a moment to realize that he had asked her a question.  
“I’m ready,” she said, grabbing her bag off of the bar.

Chris threw his jacket around her and draped an arm around her shoulders. Y/N didn’t hesitate to lean into his side so that he could lead her to the door. She felt safe for the first time since she’d arrived. She was so wrapped up in her own emotions that she missing the warning glare Chris sent the man over the top of her head.

He gently steered her outside to where his car was parked along the curb. Opening the passenger door, he helped her inside before making his way around the front of the car and getting inside. He upped the heat on her side of the car before pulling out onto the street. Neither of them said a word. Y/N couldn’t think of anything to say. Thank you didn’t seem nearly good enough for stepping in the way he had to save her from that creep.

She turned to look at him. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead of him as the rain turned into a light drizzle. She couldn’t deny how good he looked. The light beard on his face softened the harsh lines of his jaw and cheekbones. She couldn’t make out the blue of his eyes in the dim light, but she knew it was warm and inviting. She’d seen it when he’d smiled down at her while playing the hero.   
They drove on in silence for about 10 minutes before Chris looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “Where to?” he asked.

Y/N startled a bit before her cheeks reddening in embarrassment at being caught staring. “W-what?”

He gave a light chuckle and smiled at her. “Where do you want me to take you? We can keep driving around if you want, but I figured you might want to get out of those wet clothes at some point.”

Y/N shivered as if the mention of her clothing suddenly reminded her that she was cold and pulled Chris’ coat tighter around her. “Yeah. That’d be good.” She gave him her address and settled back into the seat. 

Chris pulled up outside the B’n’B and let the car idle. Y/N took his coat from around her shoulders and handed it back to him. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know what I would have done without your help. That guy was…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Chris gave her another charming smile, causing her heart to do a flip. Y/N reached into her bag and started to hand him some money for the gas he had spent to get her, but he refused. “You don’t need to do that. I’m just glad I could help.”

“Please, I want to pay you back.”

“I mean it,” he said. “You don’t owe me anything.”

Y/N groaned. “Yes, I do. Come on. There’s got to be something I can do to make it up to you.”

There was a momentary pause where Y/N could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Eventually, his gaze shifted back to her. “What would you think about spending the day with me tomorrow?” he asked, a gentle smile forming on his handsome face.

“What?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to the park with me tomorrow. I’ve been meaning to take Dodger anyway. We can just walk around and relax. I could give you that real tour of Boston I mentioned when we met.”

Y/N hesitated.  _Why can’t he just let me give him money like a normal person?_ She ran through every reason she’d ever given herself for not getting to know Chris, but none of them seemed to sound good anymore. You’re only hanging out. You’re not dating him. You’re just making a friend. 

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Chris’ smile nearly split his face in two.

Y/N could feel her face growing warmer as she nodded. “Okay.”

“Great.” His hands fluttered excitedly on the wheel. “I’ll pick you up at 10?”

“Make it 10:30. A girl needs the chance to sleep in on vacation.”

He nodded in agreement. “I’ll see you then.”

She gave him a final wave before exiting the car and heading to the door. She felt like she was floating as she made her way up the steps. It was silly. There was no reason for her to be so excited about spending a day in the park, but she was.

“Who was that dear?”

Y/N paused on her way up the stairs to her suit and turned to see Mrs. Travinski and her daughter, the innkeeper Melissa, sitting by the fireplace in the lounge. They were both looking at her, patiently waiting for an answer.

“Oh. Nobody,” she said, dismissing them with a wave of her hand.

“It didn’t look like nobody.”

“Momma,” Melissa scolded, “leave her alone. What the guests do when they are away is none of your business.”

Mrs. Travinski continued on as if her daughter had never spoken. “Looked like a young man to me.” She gave Y/N a suggestive grin.

Y/N shook her head and chuckled at the old woman. “Good night Mrs. Travinski. Night Melissa.”

Melissa returned the gesture. “Good night, Y/N.”

She gave them a little wave before making her way up the stairs. She was about halfway up the staircase before a thought occurred to her. If Mrs. Travinski, who barely knew her, could see a change in her after just a few hours in his presence, then she was going to have to watch herself very carefully around Chris tomorrow. Nothing good could come of letting her guard down too much when it came to him. If history had taught her anything, it was that anything beyond friendship with a man that lived on the opposite side of the country wouldn’t work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos.


	5. Chapter 5

Y/N’s fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt while she watched for Chris’ SUV through the parlor window. Her nerves had been on overdrive ever since she’d woken up that morning. The acrobatics her stomach seemed to be practicing kept her from being able to eat anything at breakfast.

“Is something the matter dear?”

Y/N looked to the doorway to see a rather distressed looking Mrs. Travinski eyeing her warily. She quickly plastered a smile on her face and waved her away.

“I’m fine. Just waiting on someone.”

“Oh?” She tilted her head slightly. “Is this the same person that dropped you off last night?”

Melissa’s head appeared from around the corner. “Momma. Leave her alone.”

Mrs. Travinski gave her daughter a wide-eyed look of innocence. Melissa’s unwavering stare eventually won out, and Mrs. Travinski went about her business without another word.

The butterfly’s in Y/N’s stomach started working overtime as the seconds ticked by. All she’d been able to think about since getting up was Chris. Agreeing to spend the day with him was dangerous. The chances of them seeing each other again once she left Boston were slim. Even if they tired, she knew it wouldn’t work. It never did. That made forming an attachment to him insane.

An SUV pulled up to the curb. Y/N’s heart began to race as she saw Chris exiting the vehicle. It’s now or never. Grabbing her things, she quickly made her way to the door and was on the front stoop before Chris had even placed his foot on the first step.

“H-hi,” he said, startled by her sudden appearance.

“Hey.”

The corner of Chris’ mouth turned up into a charming smile. “Shall we?” he asked, gesturing towards the car.

Y/N expected her nerves to keep growing, but the second he smiled at her, they stilled. A sense of calm came over her when she felt him place his hand at the small of her back and lead her to the waiting vehicle before opening the door for her.

Y/N situated herself in the passenger seat before turning to Chris and smiling as he took his place behind the wheel. The two of them sat there for a second just staring at each other until a bark from the back seat drew everyone’s attention.

Y/N turned to see a grinning, floppy-eared mutt staring back at her. “Who’s this?” Y/N asked, her eyes lighting up as she reached into the back seat to scratch him affectionately behind the ears.

“Oh that’s Dodger,” Chris said. “I hope you don’t mind that I brought him along. I’ve been promising him a trip to the park all week.”

She looked at Chris in wonder. “He’s yours?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I ran into him at a shelter while I was filming a movie a few years ago. I took one look at him and just knew he was supposed to go home with me.”

Her heart melted. She’d known from the way he’d responded to her frantic call the night before that he was a good man, but anyone who could speak that way about a dog had to be something special. She smiled and gave the mutt one last scratch before turning back to the front.

“I don’t mind at all,” she said, straightening her seatbelt. “Ready?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

* * *

Chris put the car into gear and pulled out onto the street. Watching Y/N’s reaction to Dodger was one of the greatest things Chris had seen in a long time. Her face had literally brightened when she’d seen his four-legged best friend in the back seat. Just thinking about it made him smile.

“So,” Chris said as he drove them through the city, “is there a specific park you wanted to see while you were here?”

“I thought you were the one giving me the tour?”

Her reply startled him. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, Chris could see the cheeky grin plastered on her face. He felt the tension leave his body as he shook his head and laughed.

“Alright wiseass,” he chirped, “how about the Public Gardens? It’s pretty touristy and there are a lot of really great spots to look at.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Chris nodded and turned towards Charles St. He was already mapping out where he wanted to take her by the time he’d turned the corner. There were a lot of different things to see, and he could already picture the perfect spot for the surprise he had planned for her.

The idea for the surprise had come to him when he was lying in bed the night before. Sleep didn’t seem to be much of an option at the time. Every time he closed his eyes, he just saw the terrified look on her face when that guy was talking to her at the bar. The thought of what could have happened if he hadn’t been there made him shudder. The panic he’d head in her voice when she had called him for help had sent him into a panic. It was a miracle he hadn’t crashed in his haste to reach her. Then when he saw that man with her, it had taken everything he had not to just walk in there and shove him away from her. The way she had clung to him betrayed just how scared she had been. She didn’t deserve that. Nobody did. So he’d promised himself that he was going to make the next day special. She was going to need something special to erase the memory of everything that had happened. They both would.

After finding a place to park, Chris climbed out of the driver’s seat and went to let Dodger out first. The hyper canine practically leapt from the vehicle before Chris could even get his leash on him.

“Hey! Wait a…” He stopped when he saw Y/N crouching down to scratch the pups ears. Dodger put his front paws on her legs and tried to smother her face with kisses. The sound of her laughter ringing through the air made Chris’ heart flutter.

“I guess I know where I rank on the attention scale today,” he joked.

Y/N scratched Dodger on the head before rising to her feet.

“What can I say? He’s cuter than you.”

There was a teasing quality to her voice, and the little spark of mischief Chris saw in her eyes made him smile. He was going to have his hands full with this one for sure.

Chris placed a hand over his heart and threw himself against the side of the SUV like he’d been shot. Y/N crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes at his overly dramatic gesture. Chris went to push himself away from the car when he tripped, almost landing on his face in front of her. Y/N doubled over in laughter at his clumsiness. Chris pulled himself together just in time to hear her snort while she laughed. That sent him into his own uncontrollable fit of laughter. It wasn’t until Dodger started barking at them that they were able to pull themselves together.

Chris ran a hand down his face and blew out a puff of air to help stop his laughter. “Here,” he said, offering her Dodger’s leash. “Mind holding on to him for a minute while I get something out of the back?”

“Not at all.”

Chris handed Y/N the leash and went to retrieve something from the back. Everything Chris needed for his surprise was loaded into an old backpack that he often used as a carry on when traveling. A light breeze moved thru the air, leaving the barest trace of a chill in its wake. Chris spotted a Red Sox’s hoodie and threw it in the bag as well encase Y/N got cold later on.

“What’s in there?” she asked when he came around the vehicle.

“Just some extra stuff for Dodger. Toys and things. I didn’t know how much time you wanted to spend at the park, so I thought I might want to be prepared.”

_Oh god. That sounded terrible._

He really was the worst liar. He was grateful that Y/N didn’t know him well enough to know that yet. Anybody else would have called him on his bullshit by now.

“So, where to?” she asked.

Chris gestured towards the entrance to the park. “Right this way.”

He reached out to take Dodger’s leash, but Y/N quickly brushed him off, saying she was fine holding on to him for now.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Chris watched Y/N’s face as she took in the sights around her. The iconic statue of George Washington near the park’s main entrance fascinated her. She’d pulled out her phone and started taking picture after picture of it as they approached.

“Want me to take one for you?” he asked, gesturing towards the statue.

“Sure.”

Y/N handed him her phone and went to stand near the base. When she turned to face him, the sunlight caught her hair just so, creating a ring of light around her. Chris had been so awestruck by her appearance that he’d almost forgotten to take the photo.

They stopped here and there for her to take some more pictures along the way, Chris eventually convinced her to hand over Dodger’s leash so that she could be free to snap photos to her heart’s content.

They paused for a moment at the gazebo that served as the central hub of the park. Y/N sat on one of the benches and showed him some of the pictures she’d taken as they wandered. He noticed that she’d taken a lot of pictures of landmarks and had an idea.

“Come on,” Chris said, rising to his feet. “There’s something I want to show you.”

Y/N nodded in agreement before following him down one of the pathways that lead away from the gazebo like the spoke of a wheel. It didn’t take Chris very long to find what he was looking for.

“Over there,” he said, pointing towards the sight.

It was one of Chris’ favorite spots to visit in the park, and if the look on Y/N’s face was anything to go on, it was one of hers as well. The series of small bronze statues depicted a mother duck leading her row of ducklings down the brick walkway earned a gentle “aww” from her as she moved closer to get a better look.

They wandered for another hour or so before coming to a small pond. The autumn colors reflected off of the water near the footbridge, and Chris knew it would be the perfect backdrop for his surprise. He chanced a glance over at Y/N to see her smiling from ear to ear as she took in the display.

Chris took the backpack off and set it on a nearby bench. Dodger gave a playful yip and started wagging his tail excitedly when he saw Chris retrieve his favorite ball from inside.

“Wanna play ball buddy?” he asked.

Dodger barked in reply.

“Can I?” Y/N asked, coming to stand beside him. “Rufus isn’t much for fetch, but I’m always trying to get him to play.”

“Your dog doesn’t like to play fetch?” he asked in disbelief. “I thought every dog loved that game.”

She shrugged. “He’s more of a lay around all day and bark at the mailman kind of dog. Any time I throw him a toy he just looks at me like I’m crazy for expecting him to move.”

Chris shook his head lightly and held the ball out to her. “You sure?”

Y/N nodded enthusiastically, and it was all he could do not to laugh at her. He couldn’t tell who was more thrilled by the idea of the simple game, her or the dog.

“Go for it.”

He flipped the ball to her and watched with glee as she lead Dodger to one of the larger grassy spots away from the water and started throwing the ball for him. The overactive mutt raced after it, nearly tripping over his paws when he couldn’t slow down in time to grab it, before sprinting back to Y/N so she could throw it again.

Chris watched them both for a moment before turning back towards his backpack and started working on the surprise.

* * *

Dodger was an endless ball of energy. Y/N was pretty sure her arm was going to give out before he did. Every time he got the ball, he sprinted back to her and placed the slobbery thing in her hand with a grin. It didn’t matter how many times she threw it, he was always ready for her to do it again.

“Why don’t we take a break for a minute huh?” Y/N asked as she scratched the overly excited pup behind the ears when she crouched down to retrieve the ball. “Maybe your daddy can give us some water or somethi…” She stopped dead in her tracks when she turned towards Chris. Her mind didn’t seem to be able to process what she was seeing. “What is this?”

A large blanket was spread out on the grass. Several containers of various finger foods and a few bottles of water sat here and there, and right in the center of it all was Chris, smiling up at her in the way that always made her heart flutter.

“What’s it look like?” he asked, his arms spread wide. “It’s a picnic.”

Y/N was so stunned that it took her a moment to recover. She couldn’t believe that anyone would go to this much trouble for her.

“Is this what was in the backpack?” she asked.

Chris shrugged his right shoulder and gave her another smile. “Come on. Have a seat.”

It took a moment for Y/N’s feet to get the signal from her brain to start walking. Never in a million years did she expect him to do something like this. It was the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful gesture anyone had ever made, and she didn’t know how to react. Y/N was utterly flabbergasted. It was overwhelming.

Chris’ face fell when he realized she wasn’t moving. “Are you okay, Y/N?”

Her eyes locked with his. He looked worried. A wave of guilt passed over her. Here he was, going out of his way to do something so sweet for her, and she was repaying him by acting like a giant stick in the mud.

“Yeah, she said, putting a smile on her face. “Just surprised is all.” She knelt down to take a seat beside him on the blanket.

His chest puffed out as the smile returned to his face. “Then my mission is complete,” he said, the shift in his expression putting her at ease once more.

He handed her a container of small sandwiches. Y/N thanked him before taking one and biting into it. They spent the next few minutes eating in silence. Y/N studied the changing leaves and the tiny ripples running through the water.

“It’s beautiful here,” she breathed.

“Yeah. It is. Not as beautiful as you though.”

Y/N could feel her face heating at his compliment. She looked shyly up at him through her eyelashes to see his cheeks coloring a bit. He gave an awkward chuckle before looking down, rubbing the fingers of his right hand across his lips before looking back up at her.

The silence between them grew heavy as the seconds ticked on. She held his gaze for a moment, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, she thought she saw him lean towards her. She could feel her heart racing. His eyes moved back and forth from her eyes to her lips. She didn’t know what to do. Kissing him would change everything. If she did that then… The sound of her phone ringing cut through the air. Chris quickly pulled away, the spell of the moment completely broken.

“Uh, I’ll uh, yeah,” she muttered, quickly standing and walking a few feet away before answering her phone. “Hello?”

“Why haven’t you called me?”

Y/N rolled her eyes at her little sister’s chastising tone.

“Good to hear from you too, Rach.”

Her little sister’s reaction would seem hostel to most people, but she knew that was just the way Rachel was. She liked to poke her with a stick from time to time just to see if she could get a rise out of her, but Y/N wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Instead, she quickly shifted the topic of discussion from her vacation to what was happening back home, but Rachel didn’t seem too willing to cooperate.

“So,” Rachel teased, “you call Chris yet?”

Y/N pulled her lower lip between her teeth to try and stop the grin from taking over her face. She knew her little sister was going to explode when she learned where she was. The fact that Rachel would eventually weasel it out of her one way or the other told her that it was better to tell her now instead of waiting and not hearing the end of it later.

“He’s actually with me.”

“What?!”

Y/N jerked the phone away from her ear when it crackled from the sheer volume of her sister’s voice.

“Yeah. He, uh, he wanted to take his dog to the park and surprised me with a picnic.”

“He let you meet Dodger? Wow! He must really like you?”

“Oh my God,” Y/N groaned. “You really are a fangirl aren’t you?”

Y/N could see her little sister shrugging in her mind’s eye. “So… are you guys spending a lot of time together?”

It was easy to see where this line of questioning was going, and it was exactly why she hadn’t done anything more than text Rachel a few times to make sure Rufus was okay. She knew that the second her sister learned about her spending time with Chris, she would be all over her for every detail she could possibly get her hands on.

“You know, spending time with him isn’t a bad thing,” Rachel said, causing Y/N to realize that she’d remained silent for much longer than she realized.

“Rachel,” she sighed.

“No, listen. I know you haven’t had much luck with guys in the past, but things like this don’t just happen by accident. I mean, what are the chances of you running into him on your first vacation in, like, forever. Maybe It’s a sign.”

Y/N cast a glance over at Chris. His smile slowly melted when he saw the distressed look on her face. Dodger jumped up to lick his face, but Chris gently pushed him away.

“You okay?” he mouthed.

Y/N nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. “Rach, I have to go.”

“Okay. Just don’t be stupid okay? I love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

Y/N disconnected the call and made her way back over to Chris. She kept her head down as she walked. Rachel’s words had struck a chord with her. Maybe she was right. Too many things had to happen in order for them to meet the way that they did. Still, that didn’t stop the voice in the back of her mind from reminding her of all the terrible things that could happen if this went on.

“Is everything okay?” Chris asked, concern clear in his voice.

Y/N waved him off. “Yeah. It’s fine. Just my little sister being a brat.”

“I know how that can be,” he chuckled. “My younger brother, Scott, and I are constantly trying to get a rise out of each other. So I get it.”

They finished eating in relative silence before Chris spoke.

“So,” Chris said, taking a giant swig from his water bottle, “what would you like to do with the rest of our day?”

He brought his hand down to rest on top of hers, and she quickly pulled away. A hurt expression flashed across Chris’ face. Y/N’s stomach dropped. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. He’d had been nothing but kind and generous towards her, and he didn’t deserve to feel like he’d done something wrong.

“I’m sorry,” she said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

Chris put a smile on his face and assured her that it was okay, but Y/N couldn’t help but notice that the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“It’s just,” she struggled to find the words, “I haven’t had the greatest luck with this kind of thing in the past. My college boyfriend and I tried to do the long distance thing for a while, and it was horrible. I’m only here for a few more days, and if we start something I…”

“Y/N?”

She hadn’t realized she’d been rambling until Chris took a hold of the hands she’d been frantically waving in the air to get her to look at him. He let go of her hands, and she slowly lowered them to her lap.

“I don’t expect anything okay? I’m sorry if I overstepped. I like you. I’m not going to lie about that, but if all you want is for us to be friends, then I’m fine with that. I really like spending time with you, and I don’t want to give that up if I can help it.”

She watched his eyes carefully. The earnesty in them was jaw-dropping. He honestly meant it. The corner of her mouth twitched into a smile. “I like spending time with you too.”

He returned her smile for a moment before Dodger drew his attention by pushing his ball towards him with his nose.

“Alright, Buddy. Come on.”

“Woof!”

Y/N watched quietly as the two played for a few minutes, her sister’s words ringing in her ears. Maybe this time it will be different.

* * *

The sun was barely visible over the horizon when Chris’ SUV pulled to a stop outside of Y/N’s temporary home. He put the car in park and slowly turned to face her. There had been subtle tension in the way she held herself since there conversation in the park, and he worried about what that could mean. Their interactions hadn’t suffered. The conversation had still flowed freely between them, and she seemed to be having a good time playing with Dodger and sharing stories with him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was holding herself back from him now.

“Thanks again for the picnic, Chris,” she said, reaching for the door handle. Dodger barked in the back seat, and she turned to scratch him on the head. “Thank you too, Dodger.”

The dog wagged his tail and licked her hand, earning a chuckle before she turned back to face him. Chris licked his lips. His mouth had suddenly gone dry. He’d spent plenty of time imagining what it would be like to drop her off after spending the day together. Now that the moment had come, he found himself struggling for the words to say.  

“So,” he paused to clear his throat, “anything else you want to check off your list that I could help you with?”

She hesitated. Chris could see the wheels in her mind turning. She looked down at her lap and began fiddling with her fingers. It was making him nervous. The longer she waited to answer, the more he thought back on what she said earlier. She’d apparently had a bad experience with an out of town relationship before. Was that why she was waiting to answer him?

“I honestly didn’t have a plan,” she said. “Did you?”

The smallest ripple of hope ran through him. He’d been honest when he said he enjoyed spending time with her. Sure, he wanted something more, but if friendship was all she was looking for, he would be happy with that as well.

He thought for a moment before answering. “Umm, I promised my ma I’d take care of a few things for her, but we could do something after that if you want.”

“I’d like that.”

Chris couldn’t have kept the smile off of his face if he tried. “Sound’s good. How about I call you when I get done, and we can go from there?”

She nodded. “Sounds good. Thanks again for a wonderful day,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

She gave Dodger one last scratch before exiting the vehicle. Chris started to get out to walk her to the door, but she told him to stay put. He wanted to argue his point until he saw the smile on her face. That smile could make him feel like everything was right with the world.

He waited until she was inside before he drove away, all the while trying to come up with some way to impress her when he saw her again tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.


	6. Chapter 6

_The crisp fall breeze sent a strand of hair into her eyes. Y/N reached up to brush it away, but Chris beat her to it. She gazed up into his cerulean eyes. He was looking at her like she was something precious, something the universe revolved around. It took her breath away. His eyes moved back and forth between her eyes before dropping to her lips. He leaned forward. Placing a hand on his chest, Y/N tilted her head back and began to lean towards him._

The shrill ringing of her phone jolted Y/N from her sleep. Her eyes darted around the room, her brain trying to make sense of her surroundings.

She gave an exasperated sigh and pushed herself into a seated position on the bed while the dream kept playing itself over in her mind.

She was reeling. After all the effort she had put in to make sure nothing came of her time with Chris, her subconscious had to go and make other plans for her. She shook her head to try and clear away the last vestige of her dream. It had been so real. She could practically smell the fresh autumn leaves floating around her as she gazed into Chris’s eyes. His eyes had been so soft, so warm. She could have fallen into them and drowned without a thought.

The sound of her phone screaming at her from the bedside table brought her back to reality. Slamming her hand down over the device. She held it up, her blurry eyes taking a moment to adjust before she could read the screen. Hitting the green button, Y/N lifted the phone to her ear and did her best not to sound like she’d just woken up.

“What do you want, Rachel?”

“Well good morning to you too, grumpy.”

Maybe she hadn’t done as well as she had thought.

Y/N took a quick look at the clock beside her bed. 7:30am. She threw herself back against the pillows with a groan.

“Aren’t college students supposed to sleep in or something?”

“Yeah, but I have an early class that just got canceled. So I figured I’d give you a call so we could finish our conversation from yesterday.”

Y/N rolled over and buried her face in her pillow to muffle the scream she was fighting to keep in. She knew exactly which conversation her sister was referring to. Rachel had been far too excited to hear that she was spending time with Chris the day before to just let it go. She was actually surprised that her sister hadn’t called her sooner.

Deciding sleep was a foregone conclusion, Y/N threw the covers back and pulled herself out of bed. Her brain was too busy picking apart the meaning behind her dream to let her sleep once the conversation was over anyway.

“There isn’t much to tell you, Rach.”

“Oh, bullshit!” Y/N put the phone on speaker so she could get ready for the day. “He took you to the park with his dog. That’s gotta mean something. So tell me, what is he like? Is he just as good looking in person? Oh, I bet he’s even better. Does he still have the beard or…”

“Rachel!” Y/N scolded. Her sister stopped rambling long enough for Y/N to rinse the toothpaste out of her mouth and resume the conversation. “Take a breath before you kill yourself.”

An audible breath could be heard on the other end of the line.

“Seriously though,” Rachel continued, “how are you not freaking out right now? You’re dating Captain America.”

“His name is Chris,” Y/N corrected. “And we’re not dating. We’re just hanging out. I told you that.”

This was exactly why she hadn’t said anything to Rachel about spending time with Chris in the first place. It was hard enough to keep her own mind in check without her little sister forcing ideas into her head.

“Then what do you call it?” she asked.

Y/N leaned back against the counter and sighed. “I don’t know. Hanging out?”

The dejected tone in her voice showed more confusion than she’d intended, and her sister noticed.

“That sounded convincing,” Rachel sassed.

“Rach, please, just…”

“Does he like you?” her little sister asked.

“I think so.”

That was a lie. She knew for a fact that he was interested in her. He had made it clear on more than one occasion that he’d like to explore their “relationship,” for lack of a better term, but he was always respectful of her boundaries. She still couldn’t believe she’d told him about what had happened with Michael. She hardly talked about him to anybody. Most people didn’t even know that he existed.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah.” She heard her voice crack and realized that a tear was rolling silently down her face.

“Do you like him?”

Y/N paused. Her first inclination was to deny it, but Rachel would see through her in two seconds flat if she tried.

“I don’t know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She could hear her sister sighing on the other end of the line. “Y/N, you know I love you right?”

Y/N hated it when Rachel used that phrase. It always meant that she was about to hear something she wouldn’t like but would probably end up agreeing with in the long run.

“Yeah…”

“Then don’t take this the wrong way, but… you’re an idiot.”

Y/N’s eyes went wide. That was not what she had expected. Rachel had always been a bit blunt, but she didn’t have to be quite so forceful.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re an idiot,” Rachel repeated. “One of the hottest guys on the planet is interested in you, and you just shrug it off and keep him at arm’s length? All anybody ever says about him is what a sweet guy he is. He made you a freaking picnic and let you play with his dog for crying out loud. What’s holding you back?”

There was a long pause. Everything in Y/N’s gut told her that Chris was different. Everything he’d done up to this point proved her sister right. He’d been more than kind and treated her like she was something special. She wanted to believe that it was true. That he wasn’t just another guy that would decide she wasn’t worth it when time and distance made things hard. She just couldn’t seem to find a way to dispel the fear that lingered in the back of her mind.

“You still there?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah. I’m here.”

“When do you see him again?”

“He’s doing stuff for his mom this morning, and then he was gonna give me a call,” Y/N said, tossing a sweater and a pair of jeans on the bed.

“Well,” said Rachel, “if he doesn’t call you I think you should call him. You owe it to yourself to take a chance. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, Rach. I’ll think about it okay?”

Y/N knew that wasn’t the answer her sister wanted, but it was the only one she was going to get. She was willing to admit that Rachel had a point. She just wasn’t willing to act on it yet.

They chatted for a few more minutes until Rachel had to go to her next class. Y/N made her promise to give Rufus a scratch behind the ears from her and promised to talk to her again soon.

* * *

“Thank you all so much for coming,” the woman in period garb said.

Y/N had been pleasantly surprised when she discovered the Freedom Trail walking tours still had available slots for the day. She’d spent the morning traipsing around the city, listening to the costumed professionals share titillating pieces of history and stories she’d never heard before.

As the crowd began to disperse, Y/N thanked the woman for all of the information before walking down the street. She’d only made it a few blocks before she realized she’d never heard from Chris. She pulled out her phone to check for missed calls or texts, but there was nothing.

A strange feeling of dread washed over her. She knew she shouldn’t care if he didn’t call. She’d told him yesterday that she didn’t want anything from him, but she couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of disappointment that she hadn’t heard from him. She thought about what her sister had told her that morning. “You deserve to be happy.”

She’s right. It didn’t matter if spending time with Chris wasn’t going to go anywhere. She enjoyed his company. What happened next didn’t really matter. He made her feel special, and she wanted to spend time with him. That alone should be enough.

Searching for his number, Y/N quickly dialed his number and waited to hear his voice on the other end of the line

* * *

Finding the right balance when carrying boxes and bags full of decorations was proving to be an interesting challenge for Chris.

“How do I always get myself into this mess?”

He stared at the assortment of shopping bags and the large box, trying to figure out how he was going to get it all to the car without dropping anything until the idea of lacing the bag straps through his fingers, then pick up the box so he would only have to make one trip.

A satisfied smirk spread across his face as he’d started for the car. That grin quickly vanished however when he realized there was just one little problem with his plan. He couldn’t reach his keys.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath, trying to figure out a way to retrieve the keys from his pocket without having to sit anything down.

Chris eventually gave up and set the box on the ground along with the bags in his right hand so that he could retrieve the keys from his pocket. He’d just finished loading the car and shut the hatchback lid when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled the device out and took a quick look at the screen as he climbed into the car. A smile spread across his face at the site of Y/N’s name appearing on the screen.

“Hey,” he said, quickly answering the call.

“Hi.”

The smile on Chris’s face widened at the sound of her voice. He’d been concerned about calling her. What was supposed to be a quick errand had somehow turned into Chris doing all of the shopping for fall decorations that his mother had been putting off for the last few weeks. She’d given him a pretty well-organized list, so he thought he’d be done in time to pick Y/N up for lunch. Now he was just hoping he’d get to spend time with her at all. Maybe he could try to make plans to take her out for a night on the town to make it up to her.

“How are the errands going?” she asked.

The clear hope in her voice made Chris feel a bit lighter. It was amazing how just hearing her voice could do that.

“They’re good,” he said, stifling a groan. “Ma ended up with a bit more for me to do than I had originally planned, but I’m almost done. I just need to run over to the public market to pick up a few more things for her. Then I’ll be done. What are you up to?”

He listened patiently while Y/N told him all about the historic walking tour of Boston she’d been on for the last few hours. It was hopelessly touristy, and the people in costumes sounded ridiculous, but the joy in her voice as she recounted the event made Chris believe that it was well worth it. Hearing her get so excited about his hometown made him happy. It gave him hope that maybe this wouldn’t be the last time she’d visit.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time,” he said. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“Actually,” Chris’ body went rigid with tension. What if she’d already made plans that didn’t include him? The thought hadn’t occurred to him before. Sure, she was there on a vacation, not a social visit, but the idea that he’d have to spend a day without seeing her darkened his day.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get a late lunch,” Y/N chirped. “I’m starving, and I figured you’d know all of the good spots to get food around here that isn’t just fast food.”

Chris’ shoulders visibly relaxed as he climbed into the car, switching the phone to hands-free once he’d shut the door.

“I’d love to,” he said, “but I’ve still got a few things I need to do.”

“Oh.”

The disappointment was clear in her voice. He wanted more than anything to just drop what he was doing and spend time with her, but he couldn’t do that to his family. He didn’t get to see them enough as it was. If he started adding going back on his word to being gone all of the time, he’d never hear the end of it.

“I’m really sorry,” he told her.

“It’s okay. I understand.”

The fake cheeriness in her voice cut him like a knife. If only there was a way he could take care of everything for his mother and spend time with her. An idea suddenly ran through his mind.

“Hey,” he said before she could tell him goodbye and end the call, “how about you come with me to the market? There are tons of little delis and things where we can get something to eat. Then I can drop you off at your place before I head back.”

It wasn’t the fun-filled evening he’d hoped for, but at least this way he would get to see her.

“Sounds great. Would it be better for me to just meet you there?”

“No. No. I’ll come get you,” he said in a rush. Meeting her somewhere would mean less time together, and he wanted to maximize the time they had as much as possible. “Where are you at?”

Y/N quickly gave him the cross streets she was standing at. Thankfully, it was relatively close to where Chris was at that moment. He promised to be there in a few minutes before ending the call and pointing the vehicle in her direction.

* * *

The sight of her standing at the corner waiting for him filled Chris with awe. The wind was blowing a few loose strands of hair into her face. The dark jeans and worn brown jacket she had on fit her to perfection. Her face was fresh and clean, the cool autumn breeze adding color to her cheeks, and the smile she gave him when he pulled up to the curb nearly made his heart stop.

“Hey,” she said, climbing into the passenger seat. She looked towards the back and frowned. “No Dodger today?”

“No,” Chris said with a chuckle. “I left him at Ma’s while I ran around town for her.”

Y/N gave a playful pout. “Too bad. I kinda like him.”

“You like me too though right?” Chris shot back.

He intended it as a joke, but he couldn’t help the underlying feeling of tension that spread throughout his body. He wanted her to say yes with every fiber of his being. He actually couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted somebody to like him so much.

A mischievous smile spread across Y/N’s lips. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

Chris returned her grin. It was a bit tight, but the teasing lilt to her voice made him relax. He liked this side of her. “Well, I guess I’ll have to see if I can change that.”

He pulled away from the curb and headed towards the market.

The Boston Public Market was this massive building filled with stalls and shops that sold just about anything food related you could imagine. Chris’ mom often came here to do her shopping.

“The produce is just better there,” she always told him.

The sound of Y/N’s voice brought him out of the memory.

“Wow!”

Chris stopped short when he heard Y/N’s exclamation. He looked to his side to see her staring wide-eyed at the massive expanse in front of them. Various vendors filled the stalls selling everything from organic produce to handmade wares. Everywhere they turned, there was another beautifully arranged display showing off the best of what Boston had to offer.

“Kinda big huh?” he asked.

“Kind of? I’ve never seen a farmer’s market like this.”

“It’s not just a farmer’s market,” he told her. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

Chris placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her around the market, pointing out the specialties each vendor was best known for.

“And that over there,” he said, pointing to a glass door that appeared to lead to a massive kitchen, “is where they have classes. I learned how to make pasta there once.”

The look of surprise on Y/N’s face amused him.

“You can make pasta?” she asked. Chris nodded. “From scratch?”

He tossed his head back and laugh. The look of utter shock on her face was priceless.

“Does that surprise you?” he asked.

“A little.”

“Maybe I can make some for you before you leave.”

There was a brief pause while Chris watched her mull everything over. He half expected her to turn him down flat. Cooking for her would mean spending time alone with him. Everything they did was always in public. What if she didn’t feel comfortable enough with him to spend that same time with him in private?

“Maybe,” she said, her voice was so low that Chris wasn’t sure he’d heard her. “We’ll have to wait and see. Speaking of food, is there a place near here where we can get some? I’m starving.”

The smile Chris gave her nearly made his face hurt.

“Yeah. Come on.”

He grabbed them a couple roasted turkey sandwiches from one of the vendors. They ate in a comfortable silence before Chris left her to wander while he did his shopping.

Chris handed the woman behind the dairy counter some money and thanked her before grabbing his purchase. He was just about to go searching for Y/N when he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.

“Hello,” he said, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“Where the fuck are you?”

Chris rolled his eyes. “It’s good to talk to you too, bro,” he said.

“Seriously,” his brother, Scott, said on the other end of the line, “it’s been like four hours. What’s taking you so long? Everyone is sitting around waiting for you to get back so we can fire up the grill.”

 _Fuck_. Chris could have kicked himself at that moment. Part of the reason why he’d been sent to the market was for supplies for a cookout. His dad had decided that getting the whole family together for an early dinner would be a good idea. His mother had wanted him to go to get steaks from Chestnut Farms. She was convinced that the way they treated their animals made the meat taste better.

Chris ran a hand down his face and sighed. “Sorry. I ran into somebody and kinda got caught up. I’ll be there in a bit.”

“Who’d you run into?” Scott asked. “Everybody that likes talking to your stupid ass has already seen you.”

His brother’s poor attempt at a joke did nothing to improve Chris’ quickly souring mood.

“She’s no one you know,” Chris offered.

“She?” Chris flinched. Leave it to Scott to instantly pick up on something like that. “It’s not that girl from the bar is it?”

Chris didn’t want to answer him. Where his mother had been supportive and encouraging, his younger brother was far too eager to have a laugh at his expense. He knew that Scott would never let him hear the end of it if he told him he’d delayed the rest of the shopping because Y/N had called him. Apparently not answering right away had been just a bad.

“Oh my God! It is, isn’t it? You’re out running around with that girl instead of getting shit done,” Scott teased. “Oh man. Wait until everyone hears about this.”

“Scott…”  

Chris stopped short when he felt a hand on his arm. It was Y/N. She’d finished looking at everything and had come to find him. She must have been able to sense his agitation because the look of concern she was giving him melted his heart.

You okay? she mouthed.

Chris gave her a small smile and nodded.

“Look, Scott. I gotta go. I’ll see you in a bit alright? Bye.” He hung up before Scott had a chance to answer and turned his attention back to Y/N. “Siblings,” he said by way of excuse.

Y/N chuckled. “I can understand that. My little sister read me the riot act this morning for not telling her I was hanging out with you.”

Chris was taken aback. It had been a long time since somebody he was seeing hadn’t run out to tell everyone they knew that they were together. It was rather refreshing.

“Oh yeah?” he asked. Y/N nodded. “What else did she say?”

He knew that prying into her personal conversations wasn’t going to win him any brownie points, but he couldn’t help but wonder what she might have told her sister. Chris knew the kinds of things he and his brother talked about. While Scott may have been an ass at times, he would be hard pressed to find anyone else on the planet that he trusted half as much when it came to sorting out the chaos in his head.

“She said that I should give you a chance.”

She didn’t look at him when she said it, but Chris could still see the tinge of color heating up the tips of her ears and neck.

“W-what did you tell her?” he asked passed the lump in his throat.

He could feel his heart racing. The very thought that she might be reconsidering the nature of their relationship excited him. If her sister had been able to convince her, then maybe he stood more than a snowball’s chance with her.

Y/N’s teeth dug into her lower lip as she slowly lifted her eyes to his face.

“I told her I’d think about it.”

Chris was helpless to stop the smile that engulfed his face. He wanted to throw his hands up in victory and laugh with joy for the slim chance he’d been given, but he stopped himself before the gasp of breath he’d released could turn into a laugh.

Schooling his features, he smiled down at Y/N.

“I can live with that,” he told her.

“Me too.”

They stood there studying each other for a moment before Chris was forced to turn his attention away from her.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “but if I don’t get a move on I’m gonna have a whole house full of hungry people waiting to murder me.”

“Oh.” Y/N frowned. “I’m sorry I stalled you. I’ll just…” She gestured over her shoulder, signaling that she was about to leave.

“No. No. No,” Chris replied, his voice a bit louder than he had intended.

The last thing he wanted was for Y/N to feel like a burden. He’d chosen to spend time with her. Not paying attention to time and keeping others waiting was on him.

He reached for her arm and carefully turned her back towards him. “Let me take you home.”

“No, it’s fine, “ Y/N protested. “I can just call an Uber.”

“I insist. It’s on my way. Please, Y/N. Let me do this for you?”

Chris saw her hesitation. The way she was frowning made him think that she still felt like an inconvenience. In an attempt to make her smile, Chris did his best to imitate the sad eyes Dodger always gave him when he wanted a piece of bacon off of his plate in the morning. It worked.

“Alright,” Y/N said past her giggles. “But on one condition.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Tell me about your family?” she asked.

Chris smiled. “Only if you tell me about yours.”

“Deal.”

Chris picked up the shopping bag at his feet and quickly offered to carry the small bag Y/N had acquired as well before offering her his arm and leading her to the car.

* * *

“So what are your big plans for tomorrow?” Chris asked as he pulled up outside her door.

“I was thinking about going to the New England Aquarium.” She looked down and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “Would, uh, would you like to go with me?”

It was all Chris could do to contain his happiness. Using every ounce of restraint he had to keep from dancing in his seat, he gave her a nod.

“Pick you up at 11?” he asked.

“I’d like that.”

They said their final goodbyes, and Chris set off towards his mother’s house, a dopey grin plastered on his face as he drove.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.


	7. Chapter 7

The grin was still plastered on Chris’ face when he pulled up to the curb at his parent’s house. He couldn’t stop thinking about all the things he wanted to show Y/N tomorrow at the aquarium. He could just picture the look on her face when she saw just how large that tank was.

“It’s about time you showed up!” Chris glanced out the passenger window to see his brother, Scott, traipsing across the lawn. “I’m fucking starving.”

Chris climbed out of the SUV and made his way towards the hatchback, Scott quick on his heels.

“Then quit your bitching and help me carry some stuff,” Chris said, dropping a box of decorations into his brother’s arms.

Scott slumped under the weight, nearly dropping the box.

“Jesus,” he groaned. “Did you buy the whole store?”

“Blame Ma.”

The rest of Chris’ family was waiting for him once he crossed the threshold. Dodger barked excitedly from his spot beside the couch where one of Chris’ nieces was scratching his ears before bolting towards him.

“Hey buddy,” Chris greeted him.

Dodger did his best to stay directly under Chris’ feet until he had to ask one of his nephews to keep him back so he wouldn’t trip over him.

“Ma,” he called, “where do you want this stuff?”

Lisa stuck her head around the corner leading to the kitchen.

“Just put it over there,” she said, gesturing to what Chris assumed was the dining table on the other side of the wall.

He jerked his head in that direction to signal Scott to follow him. Sitting the bags on the table, he started unloading some of the food items that needed to be put away.

“We were starting to wonder if you got lost,” Carly, his sister, teased.

Chris gave her a smile. He loved his big sister. He’d given her hell when they were kids, but as they’d grown older, he’d learned to appreciate her steady presence in his life. He always knew he could count on her to set him straight when needed.

“Oh he wasn’t lost,” Scott offered. He grabbed a carrot stick off of the deli tray on the counter and shoved it into his mouth. “He was on a date.”

Chris whipped his head in his brother’s direction. The shit eating grin on his face only serving to make Chris scowl more deeply, but it didn’t help. Scott just kept grinning like an idiot as he munched on the orange vegetable.

An edge of annoyance laced Chris’ voice. “It wasn’t a date.”

“Oh were you with that nice girl again,” his mom interjected. “What was her name again? Y/N?”

Chris braced for impact as the floodgates rushed open. Everyone started clamoring for position, and shouting questions. They wanted to know who Y/N was and how they had met. The noise level steadily rose; each question louder than the one before, until Chris held up his hands and shouted, “Alright stop!”  His voice ringing through the room. All activity ceasing. He turned to each family member in turn to address their question. “No, she’s not my girlfriend. Yes, she’s gorgeous. No, I’m not bringing her to meet you anytime soon, and you,” he pointed at Scott, “you’re an asshole.”

The rest of the family started to laugh at the petulant expression on Scott’s face.

“Why don’t you tell us about her?” Carly asked once she’d finally managed to stop laughing.

Chris sighed. He knew this was going to happen. Anytime anyone in his family had the slightest inkling that he might be seeing someone, they started pressing him for every scrap of information he could give them. It would be pointless for him to think that things with Y/N would be any different.

“Alright. Alright,” Chris said through a laugh. “Just sit down, and I’ll answer your questions one at a time.”

He took a seat on one of the counter stools and began regaling his family with the tale of how they’d met. Chris spent the next few minutes telling them about everything that had happened over the last few days. Looking back on it now, it sounded like something out of a poorly written romantic comedy. Who spills a beer on a girl and ends up taking her on a date? That kind of thing just doesn’t happen in real life.

“We’re going to the aquarium tomorrow,” he finished. “I don’t really know what’s going to happen after that.”

There was silence. His eyes moved to each member of his family, studying their faces for any sort of reaction.

“Well,” Shanna offered, taking a seat beside him at the bar, “she sounds great. I hope it works out, and you get to keep seeing her after this week.”

“I do too,” a voice said from behind him.

Chris glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen where his mother was smiling warmly at him. The heartwarming smile she gave him was enough to make Scott’s continued jabs about picking up chicks in bars meaningless. If his mother approved of him spending time with her, that was all the approval he needed.

The rest of the evening was spent enjoying a delicious meal and spending time with family. The festivities were beginning to die down when Shanna asked Chris if he had anything special planned for his non-date date the next day.

“Uh,” Chris scratched at the back of his neck, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

Did he need to plan something special? He’d been so excited about spending the day with Y/N that he hadn’t really planned anything out yet. He’d already surprised her with a picnic. What else could he do? He racked his brain to come up with something she would like.

An idea popped into his head. Chris jerked, his eyes opening wide as he sat up straighter.

“I’ll be right back,” Chris said, fishing his phone from his pocket as he rose to his feet.

He excused himself from the family room and made his way into the hall. He scrolled through his contacts until he found who he was looking for and pressed the call button.

Chris grew more and more anxious the longer the call went unanswered. Y/N would lose her mind if he managed to pull this off.

“Hello?” a man said after the third ring.

“Hey, Miles? It’s Chris. I need a favor.”

* * *

The outdoor spaces at the B&B were lovely. The slate grey patio furniture and brightly colored pillows serving as cushions along the back of the L-shaped benches made it the perfect breakfast nook. Looking at it now, Y/N couldn’t understand why she hadn’t decided to eat out there sooner.

She sipped gingerly at her tea while she picked at a buttery crescent roll. Waiting for 11 o’clock was torture.

“Ugh,” she groaned before placing the phone face down on the table in front of her. She had probably checked her phone three times in the last half hour.

“Everything alright dear?” Mrs. Travinski started picking up a few random dishes that had been left at the other table on the far side of the patio. “You look stressed.”

Y/N smiled at the older woman. She really was like a grandmother to all of the borders. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d heard or seen her doing something for one of them in the time she’d been there. It was amazing.

“Just antsy,” Y/N replied, tapping her nails rhythmically against the table.

Mrs. Travinski moved over to her table and took a seat in the chair on the opposite side. “Big plans for today?”

“I’m going to the aquarium,” she said, the excitement clear in her voice.

“Well that’s nice.” She looked down at the small collection of dishes in front of her. “But somehow I get the feeling that that’s not what you’re so excited about.”

The woman’s perceptiveness amazed her. The little glint Mrs. Travinski had in her eye when she spotted Chris dropping Y/N off the other night was telling enough. Now that she was actually calling her out on it, Y/N was pretty sure that everyone could see right through her.

“That obvious huh?”

“Only because I know that look,” Mrs. Travinski said. “That’s the way I used to look when I first met my Hurbert.”

Y/N froze. Chris was not going to be anything more than a friend to her, but she didn’t correct the older woman. Instead, she smiled sweetly as she listened to the woman tell stories about the dates she and her husband had gone on when they first started seeing each other. They were wonderful stories full of laughter and simple joys that most people would take for granted.

“It was a wonderful time,” she said. “When is your young man going to be here?”

“Oh, uh,” Y/N stuttered. “He’s not mine. We’re just friends.”

Her raised eyebrow made it clear that Mrs. Travinski wasn’t buying it. The way she seemed to be looking into her mind made Y/N squirm. She hadn’t completely sorted out her feelings when it came to Chris, so somebody else feeling like they had made her uncomfortable. She reached for her phone as a distraction, and her heart gave a little flutter when she realized the time.

“I better go,” she said. “He’ll be here soon.”

“Have a nice time dear.”

Y/N nodded her thanks before making her way towards the front to wait for Chris.

* * *

The look of wonder on Y/N’s face as she gazed up at the four-story Giant Ocean Tank was mesmerizing. Her eyes had a light of excitement to them that Chris hadn’t seen before. That combined with the blue light dancing across her skin made her appear even more beautiful. Chris shook his head from side to side in amusement. There was no use in pretending anymore. He was a goner.

“Chris, look!” Y/N gasped.

He stepped up beside her and followed her gaze to the green sea turtle.

“That’s Myrtle,” he said. “She’s been here since the 70s.” Chris looked away from the impressive animal when he heard Y/N snickering beside him. “What?”

“Are you serious?” she asked, amusement clear in her voice. Chris stared on in confusion. “Myrtle the turtle?”

Chris paused for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. “Yeah. I guess that is a bit obvious huh?”

That’s how the majority of their morning went. Chris followed Y/N from exhibit to exhibit, happy to watch on in silence as she read all the plaques and fawned over the creatures she saw, talking about anything and everything as they went. They’d been having such a good time that Chris hadn’t realized just how much time had passed until he looked down at his watch.

“We better head out,” he said.

“What?”

The look of disappointment on Y/N’s face was enough to break his heart. Hopefully, the surprise he had planned for them would be more than enough to make up for it.

“We’ve got an appointment.” He chuckled when her concerned frown turned into a pout. “Will you just trust me? Come on.”

Chris gestured in the direction they needed to go, lightly placing a hand at the small of her back to guide her. He half expected her to back away. Y/N had always been careful to keep some distance between them, so when she smiled up at him instead of moving away from his touch, Chris’ heart began to soar at the possibility that maybe, just maybe, she would want him in her life beyond this week after all.

He smiled back down at her and started leading her away from the tank. They turned a final corner and the Marine Mammal Center came into view. A mischievous grin formed on Chris’ face as he looked down a Y/N. She was looking up at him with narrowed eyes.

“What’s that grin for?” she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Chris held his hands up in mock surrender causing Y/N to roll her eyes and shake her head at him, a teasing grin on her lips. She started to walk towards the main entrance, but Chris took a hold of her hand to stop her.

“This way.” He gesturing towards a small corridor off to the side that was marked “STAFF ONLY.”

Chris’ progress stopped when he felt Y/N’s arm pull loose from his hand. He spun around to look at her. She was staring at him like he’d lost his mind.

“We can’t go in there,” she hissed, pulling him back towards the main entrance.

The mild panic on her face was comical. He thought about telling her what was going on, but the idea of teasing her just a bit more was too good to pass up.

“Sure we can,” he said, the smile never leaving his face. “Come on.”

He turned to start pulling her back towards the door, but she refused to budge.

“Chris, I’m serious.”

He couldn’t help but think how adorable she looked. He could see her fighting to keep her expression serious, but the twinkle in her eyes gave away the smile she was keeping hidden. He opened his mouth to explain what was going on but was cut short when he heard somebody calling his name.

“Chris! Man, what’s up?”

He turned to see his friend Miles exiting the exact same door he was heading for a moment before.

“Hey!”

He took his friend’s hand and pulled him into a quick hug, patting him on the shoulder before releasing him.

Miles had been a friend back in his community theatre days as a kid. They’d done a few shows together and had ended up in a few of the same classes in high school. They weren’t as close as they once had been, but they still got together from time to time when he was in town.

“You must be Y/N,” Miles said, stepping around Chris to shake the stunned woman’s hand. “You ready to meet some seals?”

Y/N’s jaw hit the floor. Her eyes moved back and forth from Chris to the man in front of her. Her gobsmacked expression was priceless. He watched in silence as the truth of the situation began to dawn on her. Her face lit up with the most gorgeous smile Chris had ever seen, and his heart began to flutter. He had definitely made the right call.

“You did this?” she asked, the shock slowly fading from her features.

Chris shrugged, a knowing smirk still firmly planted on his face.

Y/N darted towards him and threw her arms around his neck. Chris stumbled back from the impact before slowly bringing his arms up to embrace her. He let his eyes fall closed and turned his face towards her hair, inhaling her unique blend of lavender and orange blossoms as she whispered her thanks in his ear.

“You’re welcome.”

She gave him a final squeeze before letting go of his neck. Chris reluctantly loosened his grip and took a step back to allow her to follow Miles through the door first.

Watching her interact with the seals was something he knew he wouldn’t soon forget. They weren’t able to go out into the habitat itself, but they were able to interact with them through one of the plexiglass enclosures that weren’t normally visible to the public. Y/N had laughed with delight when one of the seals put his nose up against the glass directly in front of her and acted like he was giving her a kiss. Her laugh was a sound that Chris knew he was going to miss when the week was over.

Chris was quickly brought out of his thoughts when he felt Y/N’s hand take a hold of his own. A jolt of electricity ran through him, pulling all of his senses to the forefront until the only thing that registered around him was her.

“Thank you, Chris,” she said, a sweet smile on her face. “This has been the best day ever.”

His heart swelled at her words.

“You’re welcome,” he said.

Chris gave her hand a small squeeze, and her smile brightened. He could feel his own smile begin to fade at the thought that the day was ending. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her just yet.

“You, uh, you wanna go get something to eat?”

She nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “I’d like that.”

A smile nearly split Chris’ face in half. Things just kept getting better.

“Let’s go.”

He turned and lead her towards the exit, keeping her hand in his all the way to the car.

* * *

As much as Chris had wanted to wine and dine Y/N that evening, neither of them were exactly dressed for a fancy dinner. Most maitre d’s frowned upon people showing up in jeans and tennis shoes asking for a table. He was sure that at least one place would have let them in on his name alone, but Chris wasn’t the type to do that. So a burger and fries at one of his favorite hole in the wall places would have to do.

Conversation flowed freely between them as the ate. At one point, Y/N stole an onion ring from Chris’ plate, causing him to look at her in mock horror before stealing one of her fries, sending them both into a fit of laughter. They finished their meals in a comfortable silence after that. Chris paid for the meal and thanked the girl at the counter for her help before leading Y/N back out towards the street.

A frown formed on his face as he walked her to the car. He wasn’t ready for the day to end just yet. He held the car door open for her and glanced up at the slowly transforming sky before looking back down at her and smiling.

“Can I take you somewhere?” he asked.

Y/N paused halfway into the car and turned to him. “What did you have in mind?” she asked.

“It’s a surprise.”

Y/N’s eyes ran over his face. He wished he knew what was going through her head. He could practically see the wheels in her head turning; he just didn’t know what they were working towards. The longer the silence went on, the faster he could feel his heart beating.

She nodded. “Okay.”

The smile on Chris’ face nearly made his cheeks hurt. “Alright let’s go.”

Chris shut the door carefully behind her before darting around to the other side of the car. He looked at the sky again and checked his watch as he closed Y/N’s door. He was going to have to hoof it if he wanted to get there before it was too late.

* * *

The stop and go traffic was starting to make Chris anxious. Arriving even one minute late would ruin the surprise. He kept looking out his window and impatiently drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

“Chris?” He cast a glance from the road to Y/N, checking the clock again before turning his attention back to Beacon St. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fine,” he said, his words clipped a bit at the end.

He cast another glance at the fading sky and sighed.  _We’re not gonna make it._

“Are you sure? You seem a little tense.”

Chris did a quick mental assessment and realized she was right. The muscles in his neck and shoulders were like braided steel, and his jaw was beginning to hurt from the way he was clenching it.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I just really don’t want us to miss it.”

He forced himself to take a calming breath.  _It’s okay, Chris. You’ll get there. It will be fine._

“Miss what?”

Chris cast a glance at her out of the corner of his eye before turning the corner into the parking lot across the street from their destination. He threw the car into park and raced around to the other side to let her out.

“That’s the surprise,” he told her. “Come on.”

He took her hand and trotted across the street towards the waiting building, hoping and praying it was actually open today.

The man behind the ticket counter saw them approaching and put his paper away.

“How many?” he groaned, moving away from the hand he had been leaning on.

Yes! “Two please.”

Chris paid the man before taking Y/N’s hand again and raced to the elevator, pressing the button for the 50th floor. The ride up was no better than the car ride. Chris kept shifting his weight from foot to foot and silently willing the elevator to move faster.

“Chris?”

He heard Y/N’s voice beside him, but he didn’t turn away from the counter slowly showing their assent.

“Yeah?”

“Relax.”

A slight squeeze of his hand pulled his attention down to her. The way she smiled up at him made him feel like he was the only man in the world. He returned her gentle smile with one of his own. The elevator dinged, and Chris turned his attention to the doors.

“We’re here,” he said, gesturing for Y/N to go in front of him.

Releasing her hand, he watched as she slowly stepped out onto the observation deck of the Prudential Center. Her mouth was open in a look of awe as she approached the wall of windows offering a 360 degree view of the city.

The sun was just starting to set along the horizon. Brilliant golds and yellows mixed with the ever darkening blue of the sky as the clouds slowly slide by. The Charles River looked like a stream of liquid amber running through the city.

Y/N’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she took in the sight. It was the most breathtaking view the city had to offer, but Chris couldn’t bring himself to look away from her. It was something he realized he was doing a lot lately. He knew her week was almost up. There was no promise he’d see her again when it was over, and he wanted to commit as much of her to memory as he could before she walked away from him for good.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

“Yeah,” Chris said, his eyes never leaving her, “it is.”

She turned her head to look at him, and the sight nearly took his breath away. The last rays of daylight cast her in a golden ethereal glow. Chris took a small step towards her and reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch lingering as he ran his thumb along her cheek.

His heart started beating double time in his chest when she leaned into his touch. The rest of the world slowly faded away until the only thing he could see was her, and he took a step closer as if he was being pulled by an unseen force. Y/N swallowed nervously as he slowly started to close the gap between them.

A young girl ran into Y/N’s back, throwing her off balance. She thudded against his chest, and Chris quickly took a hold of her shoulders to keep her from falling.

“Sorry,” the girl called, laughing with her friends and darting over to who Chris assumed were her parents.

Chris looked back down at Y/N. A deep blush was covering her entire face and neck. Whatever was about to happen between them, the moment had passed.

“Come on,” Chris said with a sigh, “I’ll take you home.”

* * *

The drive back to the B&B was quiet for the most part. Music played softly in the background while Chris drove on, but neither he or Y/N did much talking. Y/N was spending too much time replaying their almost kiss over and over again in her head to engage in conversation.

The day they had spent together was wonderful, one of the best days she could remember having in a long time. Nobody had ever done half as much for her in her life as Chris had that single day. The seals alone was more than she could have ever hoped for.

Her mind slowly drifted back to that moment on the observation deck. Her heart sped up. She’d been so close. If that girl hadn’t run into her…  She wasn’t sure what would have happened. Her mind was in a jumble. Every time she was with Chris she felt like she was floating. He treated her like she was the most precious thing on the planet. Not fragile, only valuable.

She closed her eyes and could see the way Chris had looked at her before leaning towards her.  _I almost kissed him! Do I want to?_

Deep in her heart of hearts she knew the answer. The real question was, if she let him in, what would happen when she went home? She’d been living in a bubble these last few days. Moments like this didn’t last, especially not when you lived in different states. No fairytale could survive that kind of distance. Nothing could.

The car pulled to a stop outside her door, and Y/N felt her heart sink. Saying goodbye to Chris at the end of the day was getting harder and harder. If it was this bad now, she could only imagine what was it going to be like when she left. She didn’t know if she was ready for that.

“Do you wanna go to a Red Sox game tomorrow?” Chris’ voice pulled her from her thoughts. She turned to look at him, studying the way the streetlights made his blue eyes sparkle. “I mean, you can’t come to Boston and not go to a game right?”

She couldn’t help but smile. Chris always had a way of making her do that. Something about him just made her tension melt away.

She fought against the lingering shadow of doubt her impending departure lorded over her. It’s just one more day. I’m allowed just one more day.

“Sure.”

His smile widened. “I’ll see you around three then?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you then.”

He reached over, giving her hand a short squeeze and ran his thumb across her knuckles. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she had to force herself to turn away before she did something she might regret.

She paused at the door and turned to wave at him so he would know she got into the building safely before going inside. Y/N shut the door behind her and leaned against it. This was bad. Why did she keep agreeing to see him? It was only making this harder. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to. Yes, Rachel had a point when she told her she deserved to be happy, but could she really call it happiness when it already had an expiration date?

Pushing away from the door, she made her way towards the staircase leading to her room. Her foot had just landed on the first step when she noticed a light coming from one of the sitting rooms down the hall. She decided to go investigate and found Mrs. Travinski sitting in one of the oversized armchairs with a steaming mug in her hand.

“Oh Y/N,” she said when she spotted her standing in the doorway, “did you have a nice time?”

Y/N nodded. “What’s that?” she gestured to the mug in her hands.

“Chamomile tea. Helps me relax. Do you want some?” Y/N held up a hand to stop her from getting up. As kind as the offer was, she didn’t think a cup of tea was going to stop her brain from over-analyzing her day. “What’s on your mind dear?” she asked.

Y/N jolted. She wondered how long she had been standing in the doorway to make the older woman ask that.

“Uh, just replaying the day I guess.”

Mrs. Travinski’s gentle eyes studied her for a moment before telling her to have a seat. “I may be old, but I can still tell when something is going on. Did something happen today?”

“It’s more like what almost happened,” she sighed

Before she knew it, Y/N began unpacking her tale for Mrs. Travinski. She told her about running into Chris at the pub her first night in town and how they had spent time together every day since. She told her about how sweet and kind he was. He treated her better than anyone ever had.

“But I’m leaving in three days,” Y/N told her. “What point is there in putting myself through all of this when I’m just going to leave at the end of the week?”

The old woman nodded. “You have a point.” Y/N’s shoulders fell. “But,” Mrs. Travinski went on, “there’s nothing that says you’re time together has to end when you go home.” Y/N’s eyes drifted from the floor to the woman’s face. “Did you know I met my Hurbert three days before he shipped out for the war?” Y/N shook her head. “I met him at the county fair just before he was set to leave for Vietnam. We spent every day together, and when he was gone, we wrote to each other every chance we got. It wasn’t easy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. If I had decided to just let him leave and forget about him, I would have missed our entire life together, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

Y/N sat in silence, letting the old woman’s words sink in. Maybe she was right. Maybe by not taking a chance, she would miss out on something wonderful. Maybe it would be worth a try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos.


	8. Chapter 8

“Rufus wants to say hi to you,” Rachel said.

They’d opted to do Facetime instead of a regular call for once since Rachel had a day off.

Y/N laughed. “Then put him on.”

Rufus’ head popped into view. Seeing his big brown eyes made Y/N realize just how much she missed him. She talked to him for a moment, his tail wag wildly, before Rachel had to let him outside.

“So,” Rachel went on once she’d returned, “what’s on the agenda today?”

A rueful smile spread across Y/N’s face. Rachel had been so keen on the idea of her spending more time with Chris that she knew she would flip when she heard about what he had planned for her today.

The memory of their almost kiss the day before played through her mind. Just thinking about the way he had looked at her made her heart race. She’d played the moment over and over again in her dreams. Only this time, their lips had actually met.

“Chris is taking me to a Red Sox game,” she said. Y/N braced for the ear piercing scream she was sure was coming, but all she got was silence. Her speculation quickly turned to dread when she watched a cheshire cat grin take over her little sister’s face.

“What?”

Rachel shrugged. “Nothing.” Bullshit!

“That is not a nothing look. Spill it, Rach.” Rachel just shook her head and continued to insist that she didn’t have anything to say. “You’re a brat you know that?”

“Yeah, but you love me,” Rachel said, cheeky grin firmly planted on her face.

“Unfortunately.”

The sibling shared a small laugh before Rachel had to get back to her latest project. Y/N promised she would call her and tell her about the game the next day before saying a final goodbye and ending the call.

She glanced over at the clock and decided to get ready to go. Chris had texted her saying to wear something warm. While the skies were only supposed to be partly cloudy today, it could get pretty chilly in the stadium once the sun went down. Grabbing her favorite sweater, she threw on a pair of boots and headed down to meet Chris.

There was nothing like Fenway Park on gameday. Some people would say it was too crowded and noisy, but not Chris. Chris loved the hustle and bustle of the fans clamoring for their seats and cheering their team on to victory. The smell of stale peanuts and over priced beer were just as much a part of the experience as anything else. That was why he’d chosen the seats he did.

Chris had bought a pair of tickets about half way up the main deck in the outfield along the third base line. They were good seats. He and Y/N would still be able to see everything without being close enough for photographers to easily spot too focused on them.

“Have you ever been to a baseball game before?” Chris asked.

He waited for her to take her seat before handing her a hot dog and taking a seat beside her.

“Yeah,” Y/N said, a giant smile plastered on her face. “This is the one where they score touchdowns right?”

Chris’ face paled, and his eyes went wide when he looked at her. Surely she couldn’t be serious. How was it possible that someone could know that little about baseball? His brain started to short circuit.

“Uh…”

A sly grin made its way onto Y/N’s face. Chris hung his head in defeat. He should have known that she was messing with him.

He pointed a finger at her. “You…”

Y/N busted out in laughter, her head falling back against her shoulders. The sound was infections, and Chris found himself laughing along with her. He caught a young boy watching them in wonder out of the corner of his eye and gave him a smile and nod before reaching up to pull the cap farther down over his eyes before anyone else noticed him.

That was the only downside to getting seats like that. It made it easier for people to recognize him. If he was up in a box, the media was more likely to see him. There was always a member of the press up there scoping out the scene. Getting seats behind the dugout wouldn’t have been any better. A camera would have picked them up the second they sat down. No. This was the best option if Chris wanted to avoid any major fan interactions. He’d been fortunate enough not to have one with Y/N so far. He worried about what that side of his life would look like to her. She wasn’t used to that, and he was afraid that if he wasn’t careful it would cause him to lose what ground he had gained if it happened too soon.

“I’m just messing with you,” she said through her laughter.

She jostled his arm with her shoulder, almost making him spill his beer in his lap. 

“Whoa!” Chris shouted, trying to hold the beer out away from his body before he ended up wearing it. “Are you trying to pay me back for the night we met or something?”

Y/N threw her head back and laughed. “No. No. I’m sorry. I was just teasing.”

Chris smiled. He loved her laugh. It never failed to make him smile.

“It’s alright.” He waived her off. “So you know baseball?”

Y/N nodded. “My dad used to take me to watch the minor league team a few towns over play every fall.”

Chris looked surprised. While he may not have expected her to know much, he hadn’t counted on her actually being a fan. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

Y/N started telling him stories about some of the players she’d been able to see before they made it to the big time. She even told him about getting to see a few All Stars working their way back from injury.

Chris listened to the whole thing with a smile on his face. The soft whimsical look that came over her face when she talked about the way her dad would explain rules and strategies to her warmed his heart.

“Dad tried taking Rachel a few times,” she said, “but she never really got into it. So it stayed our thing.”

“Do you still go with him?”

A sad look crossed her features, and she shook her head. “He died a few years ago.”

Chris stopped with his beer half way to his lips. He hadn’t been expecting that. Watching the cloud fall over her now, he could tell that it was something that still hurt her, and that was the last thing he ever wanted to do.

“I’m sorry.”

Y/N waved him off, assuring him it was okay. He placed his hand on her knee and gave it a comforting squeeze. She smiled at him in thanks before turning her attention back to the field. There was an awkward beat of silence before the announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium, announcing the starting lineups for both teams.

They watched the game with all of the excitement of a kid on Christmas. They cheered and clapped when the Red Sox turned a double play, and booed with the rest of the crowd when one of their players was called out at home. Chris noticed it was a bit darker than normal and looked down at his watch. 3pm. He looked up at the sky and noticed a collection of dark grey clouds blocking the sun and shrugged before turning his attention back to the game.

He saw Y/N jump out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at her. She was staring down at her hand before looking up at the sky with a frown etched on her face.

“Did you feel that?” she asked him.

“Feel what?”

As if on cue, the sky suddenly ripped open, and rain began falling down in buckets on the crowd.

“Fuck!” Chris exclaimed, flinching when the cold water soaked through his sweater and began chilling him to the bone in a matter of second.

The announcer came on to say that the game was under a weather delay. The field team raced to get the tarp over the infield while the fans headed for cover.

Chris put his hand at the small of Y/N’s back and started leading her up the stadium steps. She nearly tripped over her feet on her way up the stairs once or twice, but he managed to keep her on her feet.

Everyone crowded under the awning, watching the rain fall rapidly onto their now empty seats while they waited for it to pass. Chris looked down at Y/N to see her shoulders curling in on themselves while her eyes darted around the crowded space, her breath coming in short gasps. Chris knew that look. He’d worn it many times himself. It meant the walls felt like they were closing in, and the only thing you could hear over the roar around you was the defining sound of your heart trying to beat its way up into your throat. He needed to get her out of there and fast, or this night was going to take a turn for the worst.

He scanned the area around them for somewhere else to go. Maybe getting out of the tightly packed space would help calm her. That’s when he spotted a small alcove off to the side leading to a dark hallway. It looked like it was used for maintenance or security, but nobody seemed to have noticed it. It was perfect.

“Come on,” he said, gesturing with his head. “Follow me.”

Chris took Y/N’s hand in his and started making his way through the crowd. A chorus of “Excuse me. Sorry. Pardon me” clearing their way. He felt the grip on his hand tighten and looked back to see Y/N desperately trying to push her way through, but the crowd wasn’t letting her pass. Chris’ heart sped up when he saw the look of panic on her face. There was no way he was losing her in this crowd. He made his way back and pushed her in front of him, using his body as a shield to move her through the space until they reached the dim hallway.

“Hey. Hey. Look at me.” Chris tried to draw her attention towards him, but her eyes kept darting around the hallway. He took her face in both hands and forced her to look at him. “Focus on me alright? Just breath.” He guided her through some slow deep breaths. “Close your eyes and breath with me okay? Just listen to my voice. In.” He inhaled. “Out.” Exhale.

It wasn’t enough. Chris could still see her trembling and her breathing was still rushed and shallow. He racked his brain for all the things he had learned to deal with his own anxiety and settled on one that he’d always found helpful.

“Listen to the rain,” he told her. “Drown out everything but the rain. Hear it hitting the roof, the bleachers. Smell it in the air.” He watched the tension slowly easy from her shoulders. “That’s it. Now breath.”

He lead her through a few more calming breaths before her eyes fluttered open. Chris took a step back and studied her face for any sign that she was not okay.

“Thank you,” Y/N sighed. “I thought I was gonna suffocate back there.”

Chris’ heart rate slowly returned to normal. Now that she was back with him, he looked her over for any sign of injury.

“No problem. Are you alright?” he asked, his hands fluttering just above her body. “It got kind of crazy back there.”

“I’m fine, Chris.” He gave her an unbelieving look. “See,” she started turning in a circle, “nothing to worry abo…”

Y/N’s foot slipped in a small puddle on the concrete, and Chris’ heart leapt into his throat. Visions of her skull cracking against the hard floor raced through his mind as he shoot forward to catch her. He grabbed a hold of her and pulled her tight against his chest, but the momentum kept pulling them forward. He tried to keep his footing, but they were still falling. Chris placed a hand at the back of her head to cushion the blow as they crashed into the opposite wall, trapping her body between it and him.

It took Chris a moment to realize they’d stopped before he was able to pull himself away from her. When he looked down to see if she was alright, his breath stopped. She was so close. He could smell the light floral scent of her shampoo, and it was making his head spin. He knew he should be stepping away from her, but something about her wide luminous eyes was drawing him in. He watched those eyes dart down to his lips before moving back up to meet his.

Chris’ heart started beating double time. It was beating so hard that he was sure she could feel it trying to beat it’s way through his chest. His eyes moved across her face before settling on her lips.

He kept his movements slow, giving Y/N a chance to pull away. He licked his lips and started to lean in. The last trace of doubt left his mind when her eyes fluttered closed, and she closed the last of the space between them.

Everything around him stopped. Her lips were soft and warm despite the chilly Autumn air. They molded to his perfectly, filling him with a warmth and life he hadn’t realized he was missing. He could feel her hand fisting around the front of his sweatshirt, and he brought his a hand up to cradle her cheek. The kiss was perfect. It was sweet and tender. It was everything he could have ever hoped for and so much more.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” The sound of the announcer’s voice broke the spell. Chris pulled away from her quickly, his breath coming in short puffs of air. “Due to severe weather conditions, the game has been canceled and will be rescheduled for a later date. Please make your ways to the exits where you will be given instructions on claiming your ticket for the game once it is rescheduled.”

Chris didn’t move. He couldn’t. He stared down into her y/e/c eyes, gasping for breath while his mind reeled from their kiss. His eyes danced across her face, seeing the look of shock on her face made him nervous. Does she regret it? That doubt vanished from his mind when he saw her smile. He beamed down at her.

“Should we go?” he asked, brushing a piece of hair out of her face..

She nodded. “Yeah.”

Chris took a step back. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand in his own, “I’ll take you home.”

Her insides were still bubbling with excitement. Kissing Chris had been even more wonderful than she imagined. It was gentle, and warm, and filled the pit of her stomach with so many butterflies that she wasn’t sure they would ever stop.

Y/N glanced over at Chris as he drove. Every time he glanced over at her, he glanced in her direction like he could feel her watching him. A look of affection would pull the corner of his mouth into a half smile that she was more than willing to return.

She was disappointed when Chris pulled up outside her door. She didn’t want the night to end. She wanted to spend more time with him, to feel his hand in hers, to kiss him again. The click of the door opening beside her startled her. Chris had never gone around to open her door at the end of the night. Sure he did it other places, but not here. He’d always just dropped her off and waited in the car until she made it through the door. The fact that he was doing it now thrilled her.

Y/N took the hand Chris held out to her and felt her heart flutter all over again as he help her out of the car. She kept her hand in his as the walked to the door. She kept rolling things over and over again in her mind, trying to find a way to extend their time together, but nothing had come to her by the time they reached the door.

“Goodnight,” she said softly and turned to go inside. A slight tug on her hand made her pause and turn back towards Chris. He was smiling at her again in that way that turned her insides to mush. He took a step forward and brought a hand up to run his thumb along her jaw.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow?” he asked simply, running his thumb back and forth across her skin.

A radiant smile spread across her face. She didn’t even hesitate before answering. “Okay.”

“Pick you up at seven?”

Y/N nodded. Chris smiled back at her before leaning in to give her a sweet kiss. Y/N rested her hands against his chest and leaned in a bit more, savoring the feel of his lips against her own before reluctantly pulling away.

They exchanged whispered good nights before Y/N fumbled behind her for the door handle and went inside. She peeked through the curtain to watch Chris make his way back to the car. He paused at the bottom of the steps and did a little fist pump that had her giggling. He turned back towards the building, and Y/N quickly ducked out of sight before he could catch her spying. She heard the car pull away and decided to head up to her room for the night.

Y/N was practically floated up the steps. She couldn’t remember a time when she felt this happy. I kissed him. I actually kissed him. She suppressed a girlish squeal of joy until she was able to make it to her room and scream her excitement into one of the pillows on her bed.

She rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. She replayed the night over again in her mind like a movie. The laughs. The game. The kiss. It was all so perfect. Another squeal left her lips at the thought of seeing him again tomorrow. True she’d seen him every day while she’d been here, but this felt different. That kiss changed everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.


	9. Chapter 9

Another groan of frustration flew out of her mouth. Y/N had been digging through her clothes for nearly an hour in an effort to find something to wear on her date with Chris that night.

“I don’t like that one either,” she heard her sister say over the video call.

She tossed the top aside and threw herself back onto the bed. “You’re not helping here, Rach,” she growled at the screen.

“Well it’s not my fault you didn’t pack any date clothes.”

“I didn’t know I’d need them.” Y/N threw her hands up in frustration.

This day was turning out to be a disaster. Y/N had practically squealed with excitement that morning when she gotten up. The thought of her date with Chris had been enough to send her to the moon and back over breakfast. Mrs. Travinski had noticed her mood over breakfast. The wylie old woman had decided to play a game of twenty questions with her. She’d been so excited to learn about Y/N’s date that she’d practically pushed her out the door.

“You need to make sure you still have time to get ready,” she’d told her.

It wasn’t until Y/N was about half way through her round of site seeing that the reality of her situation hit her in the face.

She was going on a date. She was going on a date in Boston with one of the city’s favorite sons. Surely that came with certain expectations. God, she didn’t even know where he was taking her. Would it be some fancy restaurant with a private dining area just for them, or would it be another one of those local treasures he seemed to be so fond of? She just didn’t know what to do.

“Where did he say he was taking you again?” she heard her sister ask.

“He didn’t.” Y/N rolled onto her side and turned the phone so that she could see her sister.

Rachel worried her lower lip for a minute before her eyes lit up. “Did you take that blue tunic dress looking thing with you?”

The top Rachel was referring to was one of Y/N’s favorites. She always kept it in reserve for days when she wasn’t really feeling herself. It’s soft material and flattering lines always made her feel better.

“Yeah…”

“How about leggings do you have those?”

“The point Rach,” she demanded.

“Go try them on.”  _This isn’t going to work._

She stopped short when she spotted herself in the mirror after putting on the outfit her sister suggested. The deep blue of the top accentuated the color of her eyes and gave her skin a healthy glow. The simple black leggings dressed it up beautifully. It was nothing fancy, but it was exactly what she needed.

“Let me see!” Y/N rolled her eyes and retrieved her phone, holding it up so that her sister could see the mirror. “Looks good. I told you it would work.”

“Whatever.”

“You know you love me.”

Y/N grinned and rolled her eyes. Yay younger siblings. She glanced over at the clock 6:30. She didn’t have time to waste if she was going to be ready on time. She quickly bid her sister goodbye and started racing around her suite. She’d just finished putting on the last stitch of makeup when a knock sounded on her door followed by the sound of Mrs. Travinski’s voice announcing that her young man was here.

* * *

It was everything Chris could do to keep from fidgeting while he waited for Y/N to come downstairs, but nothing was working. He kept fiddling with the ribbon on the bouquet he’d brought her, and his feet wouldn’t stay still. He kept shifting his weight from foot to foot, pacing a few steps here and there for good measure.

He’d spent all day running around, getting everything ready for tonight. Things that should only have taken a few minutes took nearly half an hour. Chris kept finding himself going in circles. Running over the most insignificant details over and over again until he’d been forced to take Dodger on a long walk to clear his mind.

The sound of feet on the stairs drew his attention. Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  _Come on, Chris. Get it together._  Opening his eyes, he turned to she the older woman that had greeted him when he first walked through the door coming down the stairs.

“She’ll be down in just a minute,” she said. Her kind age-wizzled eyes gazing up at him. “You’re a nice looking boy.” Chris smiled in thanks. “You take good care of her now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She gave him a smile before turning and walking away. Chris watched her go before turning his eyes back towards the stairs and doing a double take.

“Wow,” he breathed.

In all his years of extravagant Hollywood parties and glitzy premiers, Chris couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone look as beautiful as Y/N did in that moment. It was like she was lit from within. Not even a glittering ball gown would hold a candle to the way she looked in her simple tunic and boots.

“You look amazing,” he said, walking up to great her as her foot hit the landing.

“Thank you.” She looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She gestured towards the flowers. “Are those for me?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. Here.” He thrust the forgotten flowers into her face.

He half expected her to frown and back away at his less than smooth gesture, but she just smiled and thanked him.

Y/N looked around awkwardly. “Umm…”

 _Shit_. He hadn’t thought about her not having a place to keep them.

“Here,” a voice from across the room said. Chris turned his head to see the older woman approaching them with a vase in her hand. “I’ll take care of those. You two go have a good time.”

“Thank you, Mrs Travinski,” Y/N said with a smile. She handed the woman her bouquet before turning her attention back to Chris.

“Ready?” he asked.

Y/N nodded. Chris grabbed her coat off of the rack near the door and held it out for her. He couldn’t help but notice the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks when she thanked him. Once she had her coat on, Chris offered her his arm to lead her out to the car.

“So,” Y/N asked once they were away from her temporary home, “where are we going?”

“I, uh,” Chris swallowed around the lump in his throat. In all his careful planning, he hadn’t stopped to think about her opinion on his plan for their date. “I thought this might be a good time to cook you that meal I promised you a while back.” He cast a quick glance over at Y/N just in time to see her eyes grow wide. 

Chris wanted to kick himself in the teeth. He stopped at a red light and squeezed his eyes closed for a moment.

“We don’t have to,” he added, slowly opening his eyes and turning them towards her. “We can go anywhere you want. Just say the word and…” His rambling was cut short by the feeling of her hand resting on his arm.

“Chris, it’s okay.” She gave him a sweet smile. “That sounds great. You just surprised me is all.”

“Good surprise?” he asked, the hope that he hadn’t ruined the date before it began clear in his voice.

She nodded. “Good surprise.”

He gave a sigh of relief and smiled over at her. It was going to be a good night. He could feel it.

* * *

An unexpected flurry of nerves rushed through her when Chris pulled into the private garage attached to his apartment building. The thought of spending the evening completely alone with Chris sent a thrill through her that she wasn’t sure how to describe. She’d been nervous when he first suggested it, but her excitement quickly outweighed it. Chris had proven to her on more than one occasion that he was a good man.She would never have agreed to the date if she thought otherwise..

Chris got out of the car and made his way around to get the door. Accepting his offered hand, Y/N thanked him before taking his hand and letting him lead her to what she could only assume was a private elevator since it required a key and a special code to work.

As the elevator continued to rise, Y/N’s nerves returned. It had been so long since she’d been on a real date, let alone one as intimate as this. What if she did something wrong?

The elevator dinged, and the door slid open to reveal the most breathtaking view of the city she could imagine. A audible gasp left her lips as she took a step into the open concept apartment. The floor to ceiling windows that made up the opposite wall of the condo offered one of the most spectacular views she had ever seen and made the space feel much larger than it was. The lights of the city twinkled to her in greeting. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor as she moved farther into the room.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“Yeah,” she heard Chris say softly behind her. “The view was one of the key selling points.”

“I can see why.”

An excited yip and the sound of nails clacking on the hardwood floor filled the room. Y/N turned to see Dodger rounding the corner. The excited pup made a beeline straight towards Chris, receiving a scratch on the head before turning his attention to Y/N. She squatted down to give him some attention.

“Hello boy.”

She rose to her feet and turned to find Chris standing a few feet away, his hands in his pockets and an easy smile on his lips. Y/N’s heart gave a little flutter when he stepped forward and brought a hand up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear before leaning in ever so slightly. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and started to lean forward to met him when the sound of a door closing to her left followed by the sound of footsteps made her jump. Someone else was there.

Chris grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her behind him. A shiver of fear ran down her spine and she took a trembling step closer to him. Chris kept an arm extended behind him to shield her as he took a step forward. Y/N’s fist clinched the back of his shirt to keep him close. A scream lodged in her throat when a man with spiky blonde hair came around the corner of the kitchen, he head slowly coming up to look at them.

Chris immediately relaxed at the sight of him. “What the fuck, Scott?!” he yelled.

Y/N let go of the back of his shirt and looked back and forth between the two men, her mind frantically trying to make sense of the situation.

“Well hello to you too big brother,” Scott said, taking a step towards him. He looked at Y/N over his brother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I scared you. I didn’t know anyone else would be here.”

“That’s okay,” she said, stepping out from behind Chris. “No worries.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“What? I can’t just want to see you?” Scott grabbed a handful of nuts from the container of mixed nuts on the counter and started munching away.

“That key is for emergencies, Scott,” Chris chastened. “Not so you can break in and eat my food.”

Scott shrugged. “I’ll call next time.” His eyes locked on Y/N. “I really am sorry. Are you okay?”

Y/N waved him off with a smile. She’d been watching their exchange in silence. Seeing Chris so flustered was actually pretty amusing. The way his Bostonian accent thickened when he was berating his younger brother made her smile. She’d heard bits and pieces of it here and there, but it had never been like that before. She liked it.

“Is this the girl?” Scott asked. Y/N had to put a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at the almost murderous look Chris gave him. Scott moved past Chris and held his hand out towards her. “My brother won’t shut up about you. I’m Scott by the way. Since he seems to have lost all of his manners and won’t introduce me. Ma would be so pissed.”

“Hi,” she said, shaking his hand, “I’m Y/N.” Chris rolled his eyes behind is brother’s back, making her bite her lower lip to keep her laughter in check. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Scott,” Chris groaned, running a hand down his face.

“Yeah.”

“Do you mind?”

Chris gesturing towards the door, but Scott didn’t move. Chris gestured again, his mouth forming a grim line. Scott looked from his brother to the woman beside him and back again.

“Oh, is this a date?”

“Yeah,” Chris huffed. “So could you please?” He made a fluttering gesture with his hands.

Y/N watched with a rueful smile on her face as Chris escorted his younger brother to the door.

“See you guys later,” he called.

“Bye, Scott,” Y/N called cheerfully. “It was nice meeting you.”

“You too.” He stepped into the waiting elevator before turning his attention to Chris. “You,” he pointed at his brother, “use a condom.”

Y/N couldn’t hold it back anymore and burst into laughter when she saw the murderous expression cross Chris’ face while his brother grinned back at him in cheeky satisfaction behind the slowly closing door.

* * *

“I’m so sorry about that,” Chris said for what felt like the millionth time since his brother left.

He couldn’t believe Scott had shown up like that. Well, maybe he could, but he should have realized what was going on and left sooner. Chris heard Y/N giggle behind him and turned away from the pasta sauce he had been stirring to see her sitting on the other side of the island watching him, a hint of amusement on her face. She’d taken a seat on one of the barstools to watch him cook after he shoo’ed her out of the kitchen with the assurance that he had everything under control.

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “Your brother’s really funny.”

“He has his moments.” Chris looked back down at the stove. “I think it’s done.”

“I’ll get the plates.”

Chris waved her off. “No. I’ve got it. If you’ll just grab the wine we’ll be all set.” Chris nodded towards the bottle of wine he’d pulled out for them earlier.

He drained the pasta and grabbed a couple plates from the cabinet. Putting a heaping serving of pasta and sauce on each, he motioned for Y/N to follow him to the table near the bank of windows. The table was small, only four chairs, so Chris sat the plates on either end of the table before pulling out Y/N’s chair for her.

“Thanks,” she whispered, sitting the wine glasses down next to the plates.

Chris smiled and nodded before pushing in her chair. He poured them each a glass of wine and moving around to his seat. He was half seated when he looked up and spotted something missing from the table.

He held up a finger. “Just a second.”

He walked back over to the kitchen, nearly tripping over Dodger in the process, and started rummaging through the drawers for a lighter. He couldn’t believe that he’d forgotten to light the candles.  _You can’t have a candlelight dinner without candles, dumbass._

“Ah ha.” He held the lighter over his head in triumph. “Got it.”

Chris smiled over at Y/N as he lit the candles.

“How romantic,” she teased.

Chris shrugged. He’d never made it a secret that he was a romantic at heart. His only goal for the evening was to make Y/N feel special, and if the smile on her face was any indication, he was doing a great job so far.

They ate in a comfortable silence, broken up here and there with easy conversation. It made Chris glad he decided to cook for her instead of going out somewhere. He was never able to really relax in a restaurant. There were too many prying eyes and ears just waiting for a juicy bit of information they could sell to the tabloids. This was better. They could talk without having to worry about anyone but themselves. It was perfect.

“This sauce is really good,” Y/N said. “How’d you learn to cook?”

Chris couldn’t keep the note of pride out of his voice. “I’m glad you like it. Ma taught me. She taught all of us actually. She wanted us all to know how to cook so we wouldn’t starve to death once we left the house.”

“Smart woman.”

He nodded, an adoring grin on his face. “She is.”

They finished eating, and Chris cleared away the dishes, depositing them in the sink for later. When he turned around, he found Y/N looking out across the city with Dodger planted at her feet. A smile formed on his face. Three of the things he loved most in the world in one image. His city, his dog, and his girl. He shook the thought from his mind. Thinking like that this early in the relationship wouldn’t do either of them any good. He needed to pump the breaks and give it time.

Chris found the remote for the sound system sitting on one of the end tables and clicked it on. Soft music began floating through the room. Y/N turned away from the window to look at him. The smile on her face nearly stopped him in his tracks, and Chris was once again struck by just how quickly he was falling for this woman. He forced the fluttering in his stomach to subside and made his way towards her.

“Wanna dance?” he asked, holding a hand out to her.

An almost panicked look formed on her face. “I-I don’t know how to dance?”

He smiled and took her hand in his. “I’ll teach you.”

“Okay. You’re funeral.”

He pulled her into the empty space in the middle of the room before placing a hand on the small of her back and pulling her closer. He studied her y/e/c eyes as they swayed gently to the music. They were so beautiful. They spoke of kindness, and love, and everything Chris had ever hoped to find in life. He could see his future in those eyes, a thought that terrified him almost as much as it excited him.

The music swelled, and Chris lifted his hand above their heads, leading her into an unexpected turn that had Y/N tripping over her feet in an attempt to keep up with him. She fumbled a bit and landed against Chris’ chest with a thud.

“You really have a problem with balance don’t you?” he teased.

Y/N just laughed. “Yeah. Mom always said there was a reason my middle name is Grace.”

The sound of her laugh made Chris feel lighter, and he soon found himself laughing along with her. As their laughter died, he held her a little tighter and reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes. His fingertips tingle where they grazed her skin. He was certain that if he died in that moment, he’d die a happy man.

He leaned forward, slanting his lips against hers in a gentle kiss that betrayed the overwhelming rush of emotion that surged through him at her touch.

* * *

Chris’ kiss was intoxicating. It sent Y/N reeling. She was halfway convinced that she would have fallen if it weren’t for Chris’ arms still wrapped around her. She tilted her head to the side and deepen the kiss with a sigh

She wanted to stay like this forever. Everything else was just falling away until the only thing that existed was the two of them and the mind numbingly wonderful feeling of contentment that came with being in Chris’ arms.

An excited yip from the space beside them forced them apart. Chris looked down to see Dodger jumping up on his leg for attention. They looked at each other and laughed.

“Getting jealous bud?” Chris asked. The dog leaned into his hand before sitting back on the floor.

Y/N smiled sweetly to herself as she watched the two interact. When Chris straightened, he tried to apologize for the interruption, but she assured him it was fine. He took her hand and lead her back into the dance. It wasn’t long before she found herself being drawn back in by his eyes. Her heart accelerated when he lifted a hand to run his thumb back and forth across her cheek before leaning in for another kiss.

This one was disappointingly brief. Chris pulled away just as she was about to lose herself all over again. A momentary tinge of disappointment ran through her when he stepped away. Her first thought was that she had done something wrong, but the seductive smile forming on Chris’ lips told another story. He had been every bit as affected by their kiss as she had.

“Do, uh,” he stopped to clear his throat and looked away, effectively breaking the spell Y/N had found herself under, “do you want to step outside for a bit? Get some air?”

She nodded. Maybe some fresh air would help clear away the fog she kept finding herself in when he was around. “Sounds great.”

Chris placed a hand on the small of her back and motioned her towards the sliding glass door that lead out onto the balcony.

The crisp air made Y/N shiver. She started rubbing her arms for warmth when a blanket was draped over her shoulders. She looked back to see Chris smiling down at her.

“Thank you.”

He gave her a gentle smile while running his hands up and down her arms to warm her. “Do you want to sit down?” He motioned towards the lounge chairs she hadn’t noticed when she first stepped through the door.

Chris made himself busy with the small gas fire pit, lighting a fire before taking a seat on the opposite chair. Even with the warmth from the fire, it wasn’t long before Y/N noticed him rubbing his arms from time to time. Y/N started looking around for another blanket, but it quickly became clear that he’d given her the only one he’d brought.

“Do you want to share?” she asked, gesturing to him with the blanket.

A sweet smile formed on his face. “Sure. Come here.”

Her stomach fluttered as Y/N moved over to Chris’ chair. She handed him the blanket and settled between his outstretched legs. Y/N leaned back against his chest, allowing him to wrap the blanket around them both, Dodger quickly taking his place on top of her legs.

The smell of Chris’ cologne surrounded her as she sank back into his arms. The combination of the warmth from the blanket and his body seeped into her.

“This is nice,” she said, leaning farther back into his embrace.

“Yeah. It is.”

They watched the twinkling lights of the city stretched out before them as they whispered back and forth about their lives, getting to know each other a bit more. Eventually the conversation petered out, and they sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying the intimacy of the moment and the comfort of the other’s presence.

Y/N closed her eyes and sighed in contentment. She leaned her head back on Chris’ shoulder and felt him rest his head on top of hers. The thought that she had never felt better danced a cross her mind. She never felt safer than she did in that moment with Chris arms wrapped around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments.


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